


Trust

by Jcapasso916



Category: Supernatural
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-31
Updated: 2016-02-05
Packaged: 2018-05-17 08:21:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 28,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5861311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jcapasso916/pseuds/Jcapasso916
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a broken and insane demi-god lands in their laps the brothers are at a loss of what to do. Especially since he doesn't currently have much of a verbal filter and the revelations start flying left and right. </p><p>Set after Jus in Bello in season 3.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Sam and Dean were lounging in their motel room, enjoying the peace from being ‘dead’…again…after their disastrous run in with the FBI and feeling sorry for the people who died when Lilith went looking for them. They were jolted from their reverie by a loud thump and they both turned to look, seeing the trickster curled up in a ball on the floor of their motel room. They both immediately grabbed the stakes that they had taken to keeping with them ever since the Mystery Spot incident. 

Sam grabbed Dean’s wrist before he could stab him though upon seeing that the obviously awake trickster didn’t make any move to defend himself, and in fact hadn’t even seemed to notice their presence as tears dripped from his eyes as he babbled unintelligibly in a language that neither of them recognized as he stared unseeing at the wall. “Are you crazy Sam? This is the best chance we’re gonna get,” Dean said harshly. 

Part of Sam agreed with Dean, but there was a larger part that said that killing something when it was so helpless and just…broken…would be tantamount to murder. He couldn’t help but feel pity for the being and wracked his brain for a reason to give his brother to spare his life. “Think about it Dean. He is the most powerful thing we have ever run across…”

Dean cut him off, “All the more reason to kill him now, while he’s not fighting back.”

“Except anything that could get him in such a state could pose an even bigger threat. And how did he get here? Is whatever did this to him watching us? In which case we need to know. Or did he come here himself looking for safety? In which case killing him now would be wrong and we still need to know what is powerful enough to do this to a demi-god.”

“And when he snaps out of it and kills us himself? Then what?” Dean asked annoyed and unwilling to admit that his brother had a point. 

“He’s had how many chances to kill us already Dean? And he’s passed on every single one of them. And that’s when we were actively trying to kill him. If we help him, then maybe we can get a powerful ally and we will need one if we ever run across whatever did this.” And maybe he can get you out of your deal, Sam didn’t say. 

“I don’t like it,” Dean grumbled. 

“You think I like it?” Sam responded. “He killed you how many times and made me watch? I’m just thinking practically here.”

“Fine. But he’s your responsibility. I’m not dealing with him,” Dean snapped as he sat petulantly back on the couch. 

Sam sighed and leaned down and lifted the trickster marveling at how small he actually was as he walked over to the bed with him. He supposed that realistically he was only a little smaller than average size, but compared to him and Dean, he was tiny. As soon as he lifted him though the trickster uncurled and wrapped his arms around the hunter, still babbling in the unknown language and staring with unseeing eyes, but he seemed to be calming a bit. When Sam went to lay him down, the trickster wasn’t letting go and the more Sam struggled to get free the more agitated he got again, so Sam gave up and laid down with a heavy sigh and the trickster attached to him like an octopus and Sam could manage to make out his own name amongst the ramblings. 

Dean snorted amusedly at his brother’s predicament before turning back to the tv. Served him right for insisting on taking care of a monster. He couldn’t resist a smart remark though. “Want me to bring you a bottle in case you have to piss?” he asked with a laugh and Sam chucked the nearest thing he could get his hands on at him, which happened to be the bible on the bedside table. 

Thankfully, Sam had recently done so, and had been ready for bed anyway so there was no need to worry about it just now, and hopefully by morning the problem would be resolved. It was an adventure trying to get the blanket over them with as tightly as the little being was holding him, but he managed. It was about thirty minutes before the demi-god stopped babbling and seemed to drift off to sleep. Sam had heard what sounded like his name a few times in the midst of it, but shrugged it off as he finally was able to go to sleep himself. 

The next morning when Sam woke up he was startled for a moment at not being alone in bed but then he remembered the previous night and looked down at the trickster to be met by wide open eyes that still didn’t seem to see and he was still being held just as tightly as the night before. At least he hadn’t started that creepy muttering again and woken Sam up, but this was, if possible, even more creepy. “Hey…um…trickster? Can you…ya know…let go? I need to get up,” he asked hopefully, with no response at all as he heard Dean laughing at him from the next bed. “If you let me go, I promise I’ll come right back?” he tried.

Sam sighed and began trying again to free himself from the demi-god’s grasp, which just started the muttering up again as he held on even tighter. “A little help here Dean!” he huffed to his brother.

“What the hell do you want me to do? Take your place and cuddle with it?” Dean asked amused. 

“If that’s what it takes. Just long enough for me to piss and take a shower.”

“I don’t think so,” Dean said firmly. 

“Ok fine. You know that twenty dollars you owe me? You do this and I’ll forget about it,” Sam offered. 

“Like I was going to pay you back anyway,” Dean rolled his eyes.

“Then you get to hear me stop bitching about it. Come on Dean. Please?”

“Fine, but you owe me,” he said and finally came over and tried to help unwrap the trickster from his brother. It was a testament to both their determination and the trickster’s weakness that they managed it, and Sam didn’t even look back as he ran for the bathroom. He decided to take a long shower while he was at it, just to get back at his annoying brother for how much he was enjoying Sam’s discomfort. 

In his haste to get to the bathroom he didn’t notice the trickster turn away from Dean and curl up back in a ball as the tears started flowing again and the muttering got louder and more heart-wrenching. Dean just shrugged and went to sit on the couch and turn the tv on. He knew that leaving for breakfast would get him a bitching out from his brother so he would wait until Sam got out of the shower. 

Sam came out about thirty minutes later and saw Dean sitting on the couch and the demi-god curled up crying on the bed and asked annoyed, “What did you do?”

“Nothing! He wanted nothing to do with me. As soon as you got up he did that. Maybe he’s all cuddled out?” Dean suggested. 

Sam hoped so, but given his current state he was still concerned so he went over and sat on the bed behind him and put an arm on his shoulder. The touch had him spinning and grabbing hold of Sam again and the hunter sighed heavily as he was pulled back down on the bed. Dean burst out laughing again. “Looks like he just wants his Sammy cuddle toy,” he said through his guffaws. 

“This isn’t funny Dean,” Sam snapped at him. 

“Oh come on. If the situation were reversed you would be laughing your ass off,” Dean defended himself. When he was only met with a bitchface, he just rolled his eyes and said, “Whatever. I’m headed out for breakfast.”

“Grab something sweet for him? Maybe we can coax him off me with sugar,” Sam yelled as Dean headed out the door, still laughing hysterically, and even Sam realized how funny that statement sounded. 

 

When Dean got back half an hour later, he had breakfast and a grocery bag with candy and cakes. “Look. Dean has candy. Go get him,” Sam said as if he were talking to a dog, but he got no response from the man attached to him. He figured they could try putting the candy in front of his face, but he didn’t want it getting all over his bed so he shifted him so that the trickster’s legs were around his waist and arms around his neck and got up, carrying him over to the candy. “Open one and put it in front of him,” Sam suggested. 

Dean shrugged and grabbed a random candy bar and opened it, waving it in front of the demi-god’s face. It was snatched from his hand with lightning speed and the trickster started eating it over Sam’s shoulder, not loosening his hold at all. “Seriously Dean? You weren’t supposed to give it to him until he got down.”

“Did you see how quick that little fucker was? I couldn’t have moved if I tried to!” Dean protested. 

Sam let out another sigh and just sat in the chair, trickster on his lap as he did his best to eat his breakfast around the annoying little being. After breakfast, they tried again to coax the trickster down, but he still seemed not to even see them, but if any candy got close enough to his face he would snatch it and eat. 

Sam got up and went to the couch to watch tv. It looked like he was stuck in the room for a while. How was he going to explain a catatonic man attached to him after all? He had almost gotten used to the weight on him until he needed to piss again. Dean utterly refused to help him dislodge the trickster again. “I’m not gonna go through this crap every time you have to piss. He’s little. Just hoist him up.”

“You can’t be serious,” Sam said incredulously. 

“What? It’s easier than prying him off and then listening to him crying and babbling every time. It’s not like he’s in any position to take advantage of you, Samantha,” Dean teased, but he had a point.

Apparently Sam realized that too because he just got up and grudgingly carried the little being with him to the bathroom and did as Dean suggested. It was the most awkward thing he had ever done though. The rest of the day continued much the same, and Sam went to bed with his new conjoined twin.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning Sam was met with the same blank stare when he woke up and sighed. “Don’t suppose you’ll let me go so I can use the bathroom?” Sam asked without much hope. He was therefore surprised when the grip on him loosened, but when he got up and turned to look, the trickster was once again curled up in a ball with tears running down his cheeks, and Sam couldn’t help the stab of pity he felt. He had no idea what was going on here but whatever it was wasn’t good. 

He used the bathroom and showered as quickly as he could manage and then had the little being attached to him again when he came out. He managed to detach him long enough to eat and use the bathroom the rest of the day, but with the state it left him in, Sam let him cling to him otherwise. Dean had stopped finding it funny by now too and after dinner he asked, “Jesus Sam. What do you think happened to him?” he asked. 

That spurred some more babbling but this time thankfully at least part of it was in English so they could understand it. “home…wanna go home…miss home…” they managed to make out. 

“Then go home. We’re not stopping you,” Dean said harshly. 

“Can’t go home…they’ll kill me…they hate me…betrayer…runaway…can’t go home…” he babbled crying.

“Ok. Ok. It’s okay. You don’t have to go anywhere,” Sam said soothingly rubbing circles on his back and glaring at his brother for talking to him so harshly. 

“They can’t find me…think I’m dead…interfered…shouldn’t have interfered…” he continued. 

“We need some answers Sam,” Dean pointed out. 

“Just back off and let me get them then. He seems to like me,” Sam said and he realized that the trickster was only tuning into parts of their conversations when he didn’t respond to that. “It’s ok. It’ll be okay. We won’t tell anyone you’re alive. We won’t let anyone find you.” He continued trying to soothe him knowing that the calmer they could keep him the more answers they might get. He didn’t dare asking him about what hurt him just yet, despite the fact that it was his excuse for keeping him alive, but he wanted to get the demi-god talking a little more, maybe pull him out of his shell a little bit before asking about such difficult subjects. Sam did decide to push a little bit on the current subject, if nothing else to at least know where to avoid. “Where is home? Who should we stay away from?”

“Heaven…angels…warm there…so cold now…always cold…miss home…miss heaven…” 

“He’s nuts,” Dean remarked unhelpfully and jumped in to ask the question Sam should have asked to begin with, impatient with his brother’s messing around, not that he held up much hope for a real answer after that. “What hurt you? Is it coming for us?” 

“Sam…Sam don’t go…Sam…don’t leave me…please…Sam…” was the only response they got and Dean rolled his eyes and threw his hands in the air giving up. Seemed the fact that he was speaking English was just as unhelpful as if he were still speaking tongues. 

Sam tried to calm the little demi-god in his lap. “It’s okay. I’m not going anywhere. I won’t leave you. I promise.” The fact that he only meant the promise until the trickster was able to stand on his own two feet again was immaterial. All that mattered right now was calming him down. 

He continued babbling, alternating between begging Sam not to go and his family killing him and the cold for a while longer before he finally calmed. He didn’t remove his head from where he had buried it in Sam’s neck though and he seemed to slip back into his fully catatonic state. 

Sam tried prodding him a few times and didn’t get a response so he looked at Dean and nodded that he was out. “Do you think he might have been telling the truth?” he asked Dean. 

“Are you kidding? Dude’s nuttier than a fruitcake. Angels are ridiculous enough, but the idea that he is one? Please,” Dean scoffed. 

“Yeah. It is pretty ridiculous,” Sam laughed shortly, but he wasn’t so sure. He noticed that the trickster had only tuned into them when Dean said ‘Jesus’ and that obviously wasn’t faked. He also felt the trembling that started as soon as Dean had said ‘angels’. He didn’t know what to believe but he still had to admit that it was pretty farfetched. It was obvious that he was afraid to go home though and couldn’t help but wonder if his family, whoever and whatever they were, had been the ones to hurt him like this. 

It was getting late and Sam didn’t have the heart to dislodge him again, if it would have worked anyway with him back to fully catatonic, so he just lifted him up and took him with him to the bathroom, praying that he wouldn’t tune back into them during. His prayers were thankfully answered and he slid them into bed. 

Once again, in the morning, Sam was able to coax the trickster off of him long enough to use the bathroom, leaving him, as usual, in the pitiful position while he was gone. He did decide to eat breakfast around him. Despite the fact that the being had killed his brother a hundred times, he found himself softening to him after seeing him like this and wanted to cause him as little pain as possible. Dean just rolled his eyes and scoffed. He was getting restless. They had been cooped up here long enough. He wanted to get back on the road but they couldn’t until this mess was resolved. 

It was just after lunch when they heard a knock on the door and Dean muttered, “Just what we need. Another monster,” as he stepped aside and let Ruby in. 

That got a response from the trickster as he immediately detached himself from Sam and took up a protective stance in front of the hunter growling at the demon that had walked in. Her eyes widened and stepped back in shock. “Call your rabid archangel off would you?” she asked nervously. “Where the hell did you find a broken archangel anyway?” She hoped it was a temporary thing. Very temporary. 

“Archangel?” Sam asked looking between her and the trickster who wouldn’t let him past. Everyone in the room realized that if Ruby made the slightest threatening gesture he would attack. 

“Seriously. Is he sticking around?” Ruby asked again nervously eyeing him. 

If the trickster…archangel had a thing against demons in particular she would have been dead as soon as she stepped foot in the room he was sure, but apparently he thought that Sam needed to be protected from her specifically for some reason. He wasn’t suspicious enough to start demanding answers, but that nagging feeling he’d had since she first showed up was getting stronger. And if he really was an archangel, then he would be much better help getting Dean out of his deal than Ruby could ever be. “Yeah, he is,” Sam answered her, narrowing his eyes at her suspiciously. 

“Ok. I’m out of here. I’m much more scared of that than I am of Lilith. She can find another patsy to do her dirty work,” Ruby said spinning to head out the door, but before she could open it, the trickster turned archangel was in front of her with his hand on her head and she fell to the floor, eyes burnt out of her head, and then he was back on Sam again and back in his catatonic state. 

“What the hell?!” Dean exclaimed. Sam couldn’t have put it any better than that. “No way can he be a fucking archangel!”

Sam was in just as much shock as his brother but was able to think more clearly. “Why would she lie about that? And you saw how scared she was of him. He scared her more than the ‘queen of hell’, oh and I definitely caught the fact that she had been playing us so no need to say I told you so.”

“You really believe this?” Dean asked incredulously. 

“Yeah Dean. I think, given the evidence, it’s the only explanation,” Sam said looking again at the archangel in his arms appraisingly. 

“Ok answer me this hotshot. If angels are real, why have we never seen one?” Dean asked smugly. 

“Well apparently we have we just didn’t know it,” Sam answered just as smugly. Who knew how many other angels they could have met unknowingly. When his brother glared at him, he knew he was going to have to offer a better explanation. “You heard what he said about interfering. Maybe they aren’t allowed to interact with humans or anything. Then we wouldn’t have heard about them or seen them.”

Dean looked thoughtful for a moment. He had to admit that it made sense, and Ruby’s reaction had been nothing but genuine. Even he could see that. And why else would she let slip that she was playing him. He glanced over at the dead body of the demon and wondered if that was what people meant by smiting. “Great. So now we have a renegade archangel on a killing spree,” Dean said as he sat down in a huff. 

“I’d hardly say it’s a killing spree,” Sam rolled his eyes. Somehow the fact that this little being was an archangel made all the difference in Sam’s view of him. “He killed a couple people, not wiping whole towns off the map which he could obviously do if he wanted to.”

“Why would you think that?” Dean asked curiously. They had never seen signs of that kind of power from him. 

“Well a strong enough demon can, and based on Ruby’s reaction he’s stronger than the strongest demons so it makes sense,” Sam reasoned. 

“So we should be thankful that he limits himself to only a few kills?” Dean asked annoyed that his brother could even think that. 

“He did say they had it coming, and I highly doubt an archangel would take offense at such minor things as we know about those guys or he would be wiping out whole towns and most of the world, so maybe there’s a lot we don’t know,” Sam said with a shrug. 

“And killing me over and over last month? How do you explain that?” 

Sam thought about that for a minute and something clicked and he looked almost fondly at the being in his arms. “He was trying to protect me,” he said almost reverently, ignoring Dean’s scoff. He remembered what the trickster had said about them sacrificing each other and how it would be the death of him and only end in blood and pain. That, and the reaction when Ruby had come in, it was like a switch had flipped in the archangel’s brain and he went into full protection mode. Sam still hated the way he had gone about it, and they would definitely have a long talk about that when he was back to himself, but he recognized the reason now. He had brought Dean back after all, and he suddenly found himself wondering if he had ever been planning to leave Dean dead. 

“Whatever. I’m gonna go ditch the demon bitch’s body somewhere and then I’m hitting a bar or something since you apparently have your very own angelic protector,” Dean said insulted and left.


	3. Chapter 3

As soon as Dean left, Sam turned to the archangel in his arms and nudged him off so he could go to the bathroom. When he came back and the archangel reattached he said softly, “I wish I knew your name. I mean angels have names right? They do in all the lore at least.” He realized he was babbling a bit but felt the need to fill the silence with something. Sam almost missed the whimpered, “Gabriel,” that came from the man in his lap. 

Sam grinned. He had gotten a response. A real one. Not mostly incoherent babbling. “Gabriel huh? Nice to meet you Gabriel,” he said with an audible smile hoping for more of a response, but the only one he got was the archangel burrowing into him. He still chalked it up as a win though. To think he had Gabriel himself in his lap. It was mind-boggling. He had prayed often to Gabriel in his lifetime, figuring that as the archangel of justice and mercy he was a good one for hunters to pray to. He wondered if he had ever gotten any of the prayers. If he did, then he would have gotten so many though that he’d never remember Sam’s anyway. 

Then he remembered why Gabriel was in his lap in the first place, and how broken he was and if possible he felt even more pity towards him, as well as wonder at what could possibly do this to an archangel. Had his family found him after all? He ran a hand through Gabriel’s hair, smiling softly when he leaned into the touch despite his unseeing eyes. Sam knew the signs and knew that the archangel was touch-starved. He supposed hiding out for however long would do that to a person. He remembered what Gabriel had said about always being cold now, away from heaven, and he doubted that it was a physical cold. 

 

Dean went into the bar, most of his anger having evaporated in the physical exertion of burying a body, and immediately spotted the petite blonde at the bar flirting rather obviously with the bartender. He grinned. Just what he needed on a day like today. “Fancy meeting you here gorgeous,” he drawled as he walked up. 

“Dean!” she squealed and turned to give him a huge hug. “How have you been?”

“Pretty good. Can’t complain. How’s Ellen? She know you’re here?” 

“Not specifically. She knows I’m…working, but not here specifically,” Jo said leading him to a booth where they could talk freely. 

“How’s she feel about you hunting? Last I heard she was dead-set against it,” Dean asked, wanting to make sure he wasn’t going to get into any trouble by talking to her. 

“Still scared of my mom tough guy?” she asked with a laugh. 

“Have you met your mom?” he asked pointedly laughing along with her.

“Touche,” she said and then added, “She’s not happy about it, but she’s dealing. I’m old enough to do what I want.”

“You really should be working with someone else though. It’s not safe to hunt alone. You should know that as well as anyone,” Dean admonished her. 

“That an invitation?” she asked with a wink. 

“I…um…yeah ok. If it’ll keep you out of trouble…sure,” he stammered for a moment and hoped he wouldn’t get gutted for it. 

“Well if you’re attitude is about keeping me out of trouble and protecting me then no thanks. I can handle myself just fine,” she snapped at him, insulted by the idea that she couldn’t handle it. 

“Whoa, easy tiger,” Dean said raising his hands in surrender. “I just meant the trouble that any hunter would get into running alone. I know you can handle yourself or I wouldn’t have offered. The last thing me and Sammy need is dead weight.” He hoped she would take him up on the offer for more than one reason. Not only would it keep her safe, but it would give Sam someone to watch his back after Dean was gone and if they could get used to working together beforehand, maybe he wouldn’t balk at it. He didn’t say that of course since she didn’t know about his deal. 

She narrowed her eyes at him appraisingly and then gave a curt nod. “We can give it a shot, but you go all macho protector on me and I’m out,” she warned. 

“As long as you understand that I’m not gonna let you take any more unnecessary risks than I would Sammy,” he said wanting to get that into the open. It wouldn’t do to have her getting her back up every time he suggested caution. 

“Deal,” she said holding out her hand for him to shake and he did so with a grin. “So I’m guessing you’re here for the same reason I am. What do you have?”

“Job here is done. Just on my way back from burying the body actually,” he told her. 

“Well that’s convenient,” she said rolling her eyes. 

“Yep. Popped in here for a little victory celebration,” Dean said. 

“So heading out in the morning then?” she asked. 

“Not really sure about that. Kinda on stand-down temporarily at the moment. We have another…um…issue to resolve before we can get back on the road.”

“What kind of issue?” she asked suspiciously. If this was him trying to keep her away from hunting and stall her…

“Well there’s kinda…um…a broken archangel that’s…attached itself to Sammy…literally,” Dean said sheepishly. 

“Oh come on. You couldn’t come up with a better lie than that?” she scoffed. 

“No. Really. I swear. I’m just as weirded out by it as you, but it’s true,” Dean said. 

“An archangel?” she asked skeptically. 

“I couldn’t believe it either, but he scared a demon half out of her wits and she outed him before he fried her,” Dean said. 

“Uh-huh,” she said disbelievingly. 

“Seriously. Come on back with me and I’ll show you,” he told her. She narrowed her eyes again and reached into her coat and handed him a flask. Good. She was being cautious. He took a swig and handed it back to her and rolled up his sleeve when she pulled a silver knife. 

Once he had passed the tests she nodded and said, “Ok let’s go see this ‘archangel’”

 

They got back to the motel that they were both staying at…not surprising since it was the only one in town, and Dean let her in the room and she snorted in amusement when she saw Sam sitting there with a guy on his lap. Sam stood up, not even bothering to support Gabriel since he was always holding on tight enough to support himself anyway and he reached out and pulled her to his side for a hug. “Jo! How are you? What brings you here?” 

“Same thing that brought you here. You gonna introduce me to your friend?” she asked with a raised eyebrow. 

“Yeah of course. This is Gabriel,” he said, getting no response from the archangel and she tilted her head curiously and walked around behind Sam to try and get a better look but gasped and stepped back when she saw the blank eyes staring out at her. It was a little creepy. She was definitely looking at someone broken, and quite obviously attached to Sam. 

While this was going on Dean asked, “Gabriel huh? Did he give you a name or did you just pick one?”

“No, I actually managed to get a name out of him, before he went back like this,” Sam said with as much of a shrug as he could manage and went back to sit down. It was much more comfortable than walking around like this after all. 

“You’re sure he’s still…you know…alive?” Jo asked curiously. 

Sam snorted in amusement. He knew how unsettling those dead eyes could be. “Yeah. He is. He snaps out of it every once in a while, but it’s hard getting anything really coherent out of him during those times. He’s getting better though.”

Dean rolled his eyes. “Says you,” he said skeptically. 

“No, really. I mean, think about what he was like when he showed up. This is a drastic improvement and it’s only been two days.” 

“So anyway,” Dean changed the subject. “Jo is gonna run with us for a while.”

“What about Ellen?” Sam asked wide-eyed. 

“What is it with you tough guys being afraid of my mother? Geez,” she asked impatiently. 

“Have you met your mother?” Sam asked, unknowingly echoing Dean from earlier, making both of them fall into laughter. 

They just ordered pizza for dinner and ate in as they chatted amicably. The first time Jo saw Gabriel when Sam nudged him off to use the bathroom, her heart broke as she saw the tears running down his cheeks as he hugged his knees to his chest. She went over and sat next to him putting a hand on his shoulder. He seemed not to notice her, but when she ran a hand through his hair he leaned into the touch and closed his eyes. She couldn’t tell if the tears had stopped or not, because then Sam was back and he was attached again. “There’s something seriously wrong with him,” she said concerned. 

“I know,” Sam said sadly. “He comes out of it a little more every day. Hopefully before long he’ll be back to himself.”

“I hope not,” Dean muttered earning him a glare from Sam. “Oh come on. You have to admit he’s a massive douche.”

“He’s not so bad. A little annoying maybe,” Sam said with another attempted shrug. 

“Whatever,” Dean said around his pizza. 

“He seems to like having his hair stroked,” Jo pointed out as she was still doing so. 

“I noticed,” Sam said with a smile. He had spent a great deal of time while Dean was gone doing just that. 

Once it got too late, Jo headed to her own room and promised to be back the next day. “Just text me when you guys are up and I’ll be over when I get up,” she told them. She wanted them to know that she wasn’t planning to run off on her own.


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning saw another drastic improvement in Gabriel’s condition as when Sam went to use the bathroom, Gabriel didn’t cry. He still curled up in a ball and watched the bathroom door longingly, but there were no tears. He did reattach as soon as Sam came out. 

Apparently Jo had been up before them, because she showed up not long after they texted her with breakfast for everyone. She said it was only fair since they bought the pizza last night. Sam looked down at Gabriel and asked hopefully, “Do you think you could sit next to me while I eat my breakfast?” 

Gabriel slid next to him on the couch, the two chairs at the table being occupied by Dean and Jo. Gabriel was still hugging his knees and he was leaning heavily against the hunter, but he was keeping himself together. As soon as Sam was finished eating though he climbed back in his lap and held on even tighter. Sam gave a humorless chuckle and said, “Thanks Gabe.”

“Welcome,” he croaked out before burying his face in Sam’s neck and Sam beamed. 

“See? He’s getting better,” he said pointedly to Dean. 

“Yeah ok. But not fast enough. We need to blow town before someone finds Ruby’s body, and you sitting in the car like that will be a red flag to every cop on the road,” Dean said annoyed. 

“Maybe they could lay down in the backseat?” Jo suggested. Dean winced. The idea of Sam snuggling with another guy in the backseat of his baby was bad enough, but with him driving it was even worse. No matter that there was obviously nothing sexual about it, the implications were bad enough. Jo rolled her eyes knowing what Dean was thinking. “I’d offer my backseat, but my car is a lot smaller than yours and no offense, but I don’t think you’d fit Sam,” she said with a teasing grin making them all laugh. 

“Ok fine,” Dean said grudgingly. “You gonna be able to pack up?” he asked Sam.

“I’ll manage, and if need be Gabe can be okay for a few minutes right Gabe?” he asked the archangel in his arms and got a nod against his neck. He did manage to get his packing done without having to dislodge the archangel and they lay down in the backseat and headed out. Jo had caught wind of a violent spirit a few towns over. It would be a simple job that she and Dean could easily handle while Sam stayed with the broken archangel. 

 

Over the next few days Gabriel had seemed to plateau out. He would snap out of it enough to give a one-word response to something someone said from time to time but he still clung to Sam just as strongly. It had been almost a week since Gabriel had shown up in their room when he suddenly sat straight up in bed in the early morning with a loud, “What the hell?” Sam, startled by the movement jumped and sat up too, drawing Gabriel’s attention. “How are you alive?” he asked confused.

“What do you mean?” Sam asked just as confused before it hit him. “You mean that police report? We faked our deaths of course,” Sam said wondering why he cared and if he had spontaneously lost all memory from the last week when he apparently snapped back to himself. 

“No. I mean…” Gabriel trailed off as he looked scrutinizingly at Sam, spotting a few minor differences. The hair mostly and asked, “When am I?”

“What do you mean when?” Sam asked wondering if he was as back as he though. 

“I mean what’s the date?” Gabriel asked. 

“February twenty-second,” Sam responded. 

“Year?” 

“2008. Gabriel, what…” Sam started but Gabriel cut him off. 

“What did you just call me?” he hissed. 

“Gabriel. That is your name isn’t it?” Sam asked hoping that he hadn’t misunderstood. 

Gabriel glared at him. “I’m starting to think I’m missing something major here,” he said suspiciously. 

Sam steeled himself to explain. “Well you showed up in our motel room last week and…um…you were kinda in rough shape. So I’ve been…um…taking care of you? I guess? Since then.”

“I…what?” Gabriel asked trying to wrack his brain and remember. 

“Yeah. You were pretty out of it,” Sam said with a smile. 

“And the name?” Gabriel asked hoping that it was something he could just play off and that they didn’t know what he really was. 

“Yeah, we couldn’t get much out of you. Just that you were an archangel that ran away from heaven and your family wanted to kill you and your name was Gabriel,” Sam explained with a shrug. 

“Fuck!” Gabriel exclaimed before he realized that he had been completely helpless with two hunters for a week. “And you didn’t try to kill me on sight? I’m surprised you let me get that much out.”

“It was a couple days before we found that out. And no, we didn’t. We were worried about you,” Gabriel scoffed at that. “Okay. I was worried. Dean just thought it was funny and then annoying,” Sam clarified. 

Gabriel sneered at that. “Glad he got a good laugh at my expense,” he said harshly. Gabriel could imagine the shape he had ended up here in. He didn’t know how he had been thrown back in time, or more importantly how he had survived at all, but he wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. 

Sam realized his mistake and tried to backtrack. “It wasn’t you he was laughing at exactly. It was me mostly.”

Gabriel snorted. “Right,” he said skeptically as he got out of the bed he finally realized he was sitting in. A bed shared with Sam fucking Winchester of all people. He really hoped he hadn’t done anything he would regret. 

“No really. It was more my bumbling attempts to help you that he found funny,” Sam said earnestly. 

“Whatever,” Gabriel waved him off. “I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that I can make your lives a living hell if my identity gets out,” he warned. 

“Yeah. I know.”

“Good. Anything else I need to know about the last week that I can’t remember?” he asked with a glare. 

“No. I…don’t think so?” Sam said questioningly. He wasn’t sure what the archangel might find important, but there was nothing else that struck him as important except… ”We have another hunter working with us now and she’s met you, but she won’t tell either.”

Gabriel looked up at that confused. He couldn’t remember another hunter working with the Winchesters in this time. Hell, other than the old guy that helped them against him the first time, he didn’t think they even knew any other hunters. Could his coming back have changed something already. “Who? How?”

Sam figured he just wanted to know who all knew his identity and how they had hooked up for his own security purposes so he explained. “Her name is Jo. A few days after you popped in, right after we learned who you were, Dean went to a bar and she was trying to work the case we just finished.”

Gabriel nodded. That explained it. If they had stuck around because of him they could have met up with another hunter that followed them into town. “Well I guess I’ll be off then. Plenty of work to do,” he said with a smirk and raised his hand to snap. 

“Wait,” Sam called before he could disappear and Gabriel raised a curious eyebrow. “I have some questions.”

“I’m sure you do, but I don’t have any answers for you,” he lied. 

“You don’t even know what I’m going to ask,” Sam said petulantly. 

“Doesn’t matter. I’m not gonna sit here for an interrogation,” he said pointedly. 

“Ok…fine…well at least stay until Dean and Jo get back. She’ll be happy to see you up and around,” Sam said hopefully trying to stall for time. 

Gabriel snorted derisively. He really needed to get out of here. He was feeling very unsettled at the moment, not to mention vulnerable, and had lost a week of his life after somehow surviving…that. “Sorry bucko. Not gonna spare any time for someone I don’t even know,” he said dismissively as he disappeared. 

Sam sighed heavily and fell back in the bed. That could have gone better. About ten minutes later Dean and Jo got back with breakfast and they both stopped in the doorway and stared. “Dude, where’s your attachment?” Dean asked confused. 

“He’s all better now, doesn’t remember anything from the last week, and left,” Sam said annoyed. 

“What? You mean he just snapped out of it?” Jo asked just as confused as Dean. 

“Apparently. He just sat straight up out of the blue and started asking me all kinds of questions like he had no idea what was going on and then he left.”

“Weird. Well, good riddance. It’ll be good to get back to work eh Sammy?” Dean said jovially. 

“Yeah. I guess,” Sam couldn’t hide the note of sadness in his voice, and though Dean didn’t notice, Jo did and gave him a sympathetic look. He had gotten used to having Gabriel around, and the constant cuddling, while a little much, wasn’t bad either once he got used to it. 

They hit the road after breakfast, Dean and Jo having wrapped up the case the night before, but Sam couldn’t stop thinking about Gabriel. He still had to get Dean out of his deal, and while he hoped the archangel wouldn’t make him play dirty, he would if he had to.


	5. Chapter 5

Once they had hit their next town and settled into their rooms, Jo joined them in Sam and Dean’s room to go over the facts of the case, but Sam’s heart wasn’t in it. He missed Gabriel’s constant presence, and he felt like he had lost the golden opportunity to save his brother too, so he was understandably distracted. “Sam!” Dean called to get his attention. “What’s wrong with you? Get your head in the game.”

“Dean!” Jo scolded him. “Leave him alone. He just misses Gabriel.” Dean scoffed at that. 

Sam wasn’t about to admit that. Not in front of his brother so he countered with the other reason. “He left before I could ask him about your deal Dean. If anyone could get you out of it, it would be an archangel and don’t tell me that didn’t occur to you too,” he said annoyed. 

“What deal?” Jo asked curiously. 

“She doesn’t know?” Sam asked his brother accusingly. When Dean wouldn’t look at him he said, “You invited her to hunt with us, knowing that half of what we do is trying to get you out of your idiotic deal and you didn’t tell her?”

“What deal?!” Jo asked more firmly. 

“Dean is going to hell. In two and a half months. Unless we can find a way to break his demon deal,” Sam said frankly. 

“Sam!” Dean said heatedly. 

“No Dean. She deserves to know,” Sam said with a glare. 

“You stupid son of a bitch,” she said as she nailed Dean with a right cross. 

“Sam was dead!” Dean defended himself. “I had to bring him back!”

“Not that way you didn’t!” she yelled at him. Sam just crossed his arms and watched with a smug look on his face. “You bastard,” she yelled one more time before she stormed out. 

“Jo, wait!” Dean called as he went after her, but Sam couldn’t hear any more since the door closed behind Dean.

 

Dean caught up with Jo just before she reached her car. “Where are you going?” he asked heatedly. 

“Away from here,” she said willing the tears not to fall. 

“Jo, please, just hear me out okay?” Dean asked hopefully. 

“You have five minutes,” she said crossing her arms, but still not turning to look at him. 

“I’m gonna be gone soon. I get that. I don’t think we’ll find a way out of this deal, but I’m worried about Sam. He’s gonna go off the rails. I just know it. He’s going to be hunting alone if you go. I asked you to join us because I need someone I trust watching his back when I’m gone. Please, Jo. Don’t go,” he said sincerely. 

“And did you think about me at all in this?” she asked harshly. 

“What do you mean?” Dean asked confused. 

“You can’t really be that stupid,” she said incredulously as she turned to look at him, tears shining in her eyes but refusing to fall. When she saw his still confused face she elaborated. Maybe knowing would make him let her go. “You have to know how I feel about you. There’s no way you haven’t noticed. Then getting me close, making me spend all this time with you when you know you’re about to die. It’s cruel Dean. And I can’t do it. I won’t do it.”

Dean looked at her in shock for a moment. He wanted so badly to kiss her right then, but he got where she was coming from and she was right. It was cruel, but he had to ask. “I get it Jo. I do. And you know I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t have to, but please. Stick around and look out for Sammy. Tell me what I have to do to make this easier for you and I’ll do it, but please don’t go,” he begged. 

She turned back around and let out a heavy sigh, resting her forehead on the top of her car. How was she supposed to resist that? How was she supposed to walk away? She thought about offering to rejoin back up with Sam after Dean was gone, but she knew she’d never find him unless he wanted to be found. And that they needed to learn to work together before it was just them alone. It would take time before she could match the teamwork the two of them showed. It was why she didn’t work with a partner. “Fine,” she bit out. 

She had no idea how he could make it easier for her. Him keeping his distance would hurt just as badly in the long run. She realized that, in the end, regrets would hurt her just as badly as losing him so she asked, “Do you have feelings for me, Dean?” 

“I…what?” he stammered. 

“You heard me.”

“I…why does it matter? I’m gonna be gone soon anyway.”

“Just answer the fucking question!” she yelled at him spinning around. 

“Yes! Okay! I do! Are you happy now?” he yelled back and was completely surprised when she surged forward and kissed him. 

He kissed her back for a moment before he pulled back. “This is a bad idea. In two months…”

She cut him off. “In two months, I’d regret it more if I didn’t have you than if I do. It’s gonna hurt either way. Don’t make me add regrets on top of it,” she said evenly. He couldn’t argue with that and swept her up in another kiss pinning her against the car. 

About that time, Sam stuck his head out the door to see what was taking so long and saw them so he rolled his eyes and figured Dean wouldn’t be back for a while so he did something he’d been meaning to do all day. He went to his knees and prayed. “Gabriel, I don’t know if you’re getting this, but please stop by. I really need to talk to you…um…amen.”

It was a few minutes later before Gabriel appeared leaning casually against the wall, arms crossed. “What?” he asked impatiently. 

“I need to know…can you get Dean out of his deal?” he stressed the word can. If the answer was yes he’d start haggling for the rest. 

“No,” Gabriel told him. 

“But you’re an archangel,” Sam pointed out. 

“And humans have free will. Even if I was capable of interfering with that, it’s so far beyond forbidden that I would be crucified before I even managed it,” Gabriel said pointedly. 

“He doesn’t want to go through with it. That’s his free will now,” Sam said hoping that might count for something. 

“Doesn’t matter. He made the deal of his own free will, knowing exactly what it meant. Not only that, but part of the deal was that he doesn’t try to get out of it,” Gabriel said firmly. 

“Gabriel…” Sam said hopelessly, begging him silently to think of something. 

“If it hadn’t been for the last part, then there’s a chance, however slim, that I might have been able to find a loophole, but with that tacked on? There’s no way. It’s just not possible,” Gabriel told him earnestly. 

“If we take out the demon that holds his contract…” Sam suggested.

“Then it will fall to her subordinates. Doesn’t work that way kiddo. I’m sorry,” he said sincerely.

Sam sank hopelessly onto the bed and put his head in his hands to hide the tears. “So there’s nothing. There’s no way.”

Gabriel felt himself being pulled in by the hunter’s not so well hidden tears, just as he had been at the Mystery Spot, and he sighed as he went and sat next to the hunter. “I would help if I could, Sam,” he said honestly. “That’s why I tried to teach you to let go. Because I knew that it was coming,” he explained. 

“I know,” Sam said brokenly. “Thank you.”

Gabriel stood up to go, but Sam said hopefully, “Just one more question?” 

“One more and that’s it,” Gabriel said firmly. 

“You seemed surprised to see me alive,” Sam said. 

Gabriel smirked. “That’s not a question kiddo.”

Sam rolled his eyes. “Why were you surprised to see me alive?” he amended. 

“Because I didn’t realize I’d travelled back in time to before you died,” he said matter-of-factly. 

Sam thought about that for a moment and realized that it had to have been relatively soon. If he had died when he was an old man or something than Gabriel would have known as soon as he saw him. “When did I die?” he asked, not even bothering to question the time travel aspect. He was an archangel. Who knew what they were capable of?

“That’s another question, Samsquatch,” he teased. 

“It’s a follow-up of the first question. Still counts as one,” Sam bantered back. 

“Says who?” Gabriel asked with a raised eyebrow. 

“Says the legal code. Follow-up questions are still considered part of the primary question and thus are allowed as part of one question,” Sam said with a smirk having no idea if that was true or not, but guessing that Gabriel wouldn’t know if it wasn’t. 

“And as an archangel, I’m not bound to your legal code,” Gabriel countered. 

“You are when you are in the United States,” Sam said enjoying the exchange. 

“Two years from now,” Gabriel told him, deciding to throw the kid a bone. 

“How?” he asked.

“Another follow-up question Sammykins?” 

“Yep,” Sam said with a smug smirk. 

“Well that one isn’t getting an answer. Not yet,” he said. Gabriel had realized the gift he had been given as a chance to go back and fix things, but he hadn’t yet decided how he was going to go about it. If he was going to let Sam in on what was coming to try and avoid it. 

“If not yet, then when?” Sam asked. 

“Geez kid. I’ve only been properly awake for less than a day. Gimme some time to get my bearings before we start worrying about fixing things,” he said with a roll of his eyes. 

Sam caught that Gabriel had said ‘we’ and implied that he was going to help them fix things. “I don’t want to fix anything if I can’t save Dean,” he said sadly putting his head back down. Gabriel had managed to distract him from the bigger issue, but it came cropping back up with the knowledge that the sacrifice of his brother’s soul had only bought him three years. It was such an unfair bargain. Hell it would have been an unfair bargain if he had lived to a ripe old age, but this way? It was a downright cheat. 

Gabriel sighed heavily and made a split second decision, knowing that it would probably come back to bite him in the ass, but unable to resist seeing how broken Sam looked right now. “He’ll get back out,” he said quietly. 

“What?” Sam’s head snapped up and he looked at the archangel with hope shining in his eyes. 

“He will get back out. It won’t be forever. You just need to keep yourself together until he does,” Gabriel told him. 

“When? How?” Sam asked. 

“Please kiddo. Just give me some space to breathe for a bit before we start with the twenty questions okay?” he asked hopefully. 

“But you will answer them eventually?” Sam asked. 

“Probably. Unless you knowing would break more than it would fix. I shouldn’t have even told you that much without taking some time to consider it, so please keep it to yourself. Dean can never know. It’s crucial.”

“I…I understand,” Sam said casting his eyes down. It would kill him to keep this from his brother…and from Jo, but he reasoned that he could tell her once Dean was gone. He knew why Dean couldn’t know. If he let on in front of the demons, it could cause too much trouble. Knowing that he would be getting his brother back though made everything so much better. “Thank you Gabriel. For telling me. But can I tell Jo once he’s gone?” He wanted to make sure he didn’t do anything to cause the flow of information to stop and getting permission on when and who he could tell seemed like the easiest way to do that. 

“I assume he and Jo are an item?” Gabriel asked with a waggle of his eyebrows. 

“Yeah,” Sam replied, knowing that Dean would never risk touching her if there weren’t something there. Not a hunter, and definitely not with her mother being who she was.

“Then yeah, but only after he’s gone and only if she can keep it to herself too. And make sure you don’t talk about it where you can be overheard,” Gabriel gave him a little leeway. He needed to get out of here…again…before Sam got him spilling his guts even more. There was way too much that the hunter could never know and plenty more that he wasn’t sure if he would tell him or not, so he said, “Catch you later kid,” and disappeared before Sam could say another word.


	6. Chapter 6

Gabriel reappeared back in his apartment. Thankfully, his unintentional time travel had replaced the past version of himself, because it would just be weird to have two of him running around. He snapped up a glass of brandy and plopped down on his leather couch and thought. Sam was almost treating him as a friend all of a sudden. What the hell had happened when he was out of it? He wracked his brain trying to remember. 

He remembered standing in Elysian Fields, arguing with Kali about keeping Sam and Dean alive. He remembered her losing he temper and letting the flames loose at the brothers, incinerating them in a way that even an archangel could never bring them back from. He remembered the smell of them burning. He remembered their screams. He remembered running towards them to do something…anything…and then he remembered feeling his mind breaking as he doubled over in pain. Then nothing until he woke up in Sam’s bed, two years earlier and one week later. 

He shouldn’t have survived and he definitely shouldn’t be in his right mind now. Suddenly he hit on an idea. He may not be able to remember it, but he could see it at least. He snapped his fingers and went back a week to see what he missed. Unfortunately, since he was already out of place in time he wouldn’t be able to affect anything; only observe. He saw himself land on the floor in the hunter’s room and heard Sam stopping Dean from killing him. Or trying anyway given that the stake wouldn’t have killed him, but hey. It’s the thought that counts. All in all, he wasn’t in any worse shape than he expected himself to be after what happened. 

He wasn’t expecting what happened next at all though. When Sam went to pick him up he latched on and wouldn’t let go. He glared at Dean as he laughed and he was mortified at his behavior and it just got worse as he watched it go on and on. The worst part was Sam going to the bathroom with him clinging to him. He heard his broken ramblings about home and heaven and watched himself kill the demon bitch that Lilith sent to get to Sam and comforted himself with the fact that he wasn’t completely useless. 

Even worse than the mortification was seeing the pity on Sam’s face and to a lesser extent Jo’s. He didn’t care so much about her though to worry about what she thought, but seeing Sam look at him like that just pissed him off. He was an archangel. He didn’t need anyone’s pity. At least now he knew how he was able to come back to himself. The constant contact with Sam had managed to heal his mind. The question was whether he would ever be able to face the hunter again. He groaned when he realized that he would have to. He had to steer destiny off its course or he would just end up back in the same position again, and he would have to do it in such a way that would keep him and his actions under the radar or he would have a whole world of hurt coming from his brothers. 

There had already been some changes, the addition of Jo and the death of Ruby in particular, but destiny was persistent. It would always find a way, and he would have to be just as persistent to stay ahead of it. This would require heavy planning, particularly when and how much to tell Sam. He would give it a week or so though. Just enough time for him to hopefully forget about everything he did while he was insane. 

 

Dean never came back to the room that night. Not that it surprised Sam at all. In fact, he expected that they would be getting two single rooms from now on instead of a single and a double. It would be hard to keep things from them, so he would have to pretend to work just as hard to try and get Dean out of his deal. He wished he knew how long it would take Dean to come back though. It would be easier to wrap his own head around. Maybe he could talk Gabriel into telling him at some point. There was a lot he needed to talk Gabriel into telling him. 

Sam sent Dean a text when he woke up telling him to come by whenever and they could get a start on the case they were working. Bobby was sure that this banker’s suicide was a result of a spirit and set them on it. When Dean and Jo came by, the first thing Dean asked was if Sam knew how to get in contact with Gabriel to ask about breaking his deal. 

“Yeah, I talked to him last night while you guys were…occupied,” he said smirking a little at Jo’s blush before continuing. “He can’t do anything,” he said sadly. 

“Can’t or won’t?” Dean asked bitterly. 

“Can’t. Something about humans having free will and nothing being able to interfere with that. He said if you hadn’t agreed to the part that said you can’t try to get out of it, he might have been able to find a loophole, but since you were dumb enough to agree to that he can’t do anything,” Sam told them. 

“Ok, so we find something else. Could he at least point us in another direction? Tell us who holds the contract or something?” Jo asked hopefully. 

“He says nothing can get him out of it and killing the demon that holds the contract will just have the contract fall to someone else,” Sam said, head in his hands. 

“We’re not just accepting that!” Jo said heatedly. “We’re gonna keep looking! Right?” 

“Of course we are,” Dean said firmly, getting a nod from Sam. All of them were losing hope though and only Sam knew that there would be a light at the end of the tunnel. 

They put that aside for the moment and focused on the case. They found that people all over town were getting phone calls from dead loved ones. They thought it might be connected to the spirit phone that was on display in the museum, but that turned into a bust. Then Dean got a call from their father saying that there was a way out of the deal. 

“You can’t possibly believe this Dean,” Sam argued. 

“Why not? It’s not like we’ve never dealt with spirits before,” Dean countered. 

“Sure, but this is different. These people are trying to talk their loved ones into killing themselves. That’s not normal,” Sam tried to get his brother to see that. 

“Well you know what? We’re grasping at straws already here, what’s one more? If Dad thinks he has a way out, we have to try,” Dean said heatedly. 

“That’s not Dad!” Sam yelled at him. 

“Ok enough! Both of you,” Jo said stepping between them. “Dean, Sam is right. It’s not very likely that’s really your father, but Dean is right too. We have to try, even if it’s a long shot. We just be careful is all. Got it?”

When they both nodded in agreement, they got to work and when Dean went after the ‘demon’ that his father sent him for, he took Jo as backup. When they realized that it wasn’t really a demon, they immediately raced for Sam. If this thing was trying to split them up there had to be a reason. They managed to make it in time to save Sam, who resisted the urge to say ‘I told you so’. 

The night before they headed out for their next case, Dean cornered Sam to talk. “Look Sammy. I’m running out of time here and if I don’t find a way out of this, I need to know that you’re gonna look after Jo when I’m gone.”

“Of course I will,” Sam said sincerely. He was sure that Jo got the same speech to look after him anyway. He had a feeling that was why Dean invited her to join them in the first place. 

“Good. Thanks,” Dean said as he walked off. Sam rolled his eyes. Like Dean even had to ask in the first place. She was the first serious girlfriend Dean had ever had. She was practically his sister-in-law. Sam wondered for a moment how bad Dean would freak if he said that out loud.


	7. Chapter 7

It was a week later before Sam saw Gabriel again. He’d been trying to give him his space. He imagined that suddenly finding yourself back in time two years and trying to figure out how to change the future deserved some space. Not to mention finding out that you had been temporarily insane for a week and had to be taken care of by people who had previously tried to kill you. When Gabriel popped in, Sam was alone as usual. It seemed that Gabriel didn’t want to deal with anyone else. The archangel was just leaning casually against the wall in his trademark stance, twirling a lollipop in his mouth, not betraying the turmoil he felt being here. 

“Gabriel! You’re back!” Sam said happily. 

“Yes. Your powerful ally is here,” Gabriel said pointedly with a slight sneer. 

“What do you…oh…you remember?” Sam guessed with a wince, knowing what Gabriel must have heard. 

“Not exactly. Sort of called up an instant replay, so you can drop the whole friends act. You want a powerful ally, you have one. I’ll keep you alive and out of too much trouble, but only because it’s in my best interests too,” Gabriel said. 

Sam wanted to protest and say that he wanted to be Gabriel’s friend, but the last part of that caught his attention first. “Why is it in your best interests?” 

Shit. He’d said too much. This is why he really couldn’t be around the younger Winchester. He had a way of spilling too much information. “It’s not important. I just need to know that you’re going to hold it together when your brother is gone. No going off the cliff. No hunting revenge. No stupid reckless stunts like you did when you were hunting me.”

“Gabriel...” Sam said tiredly. He wanted an answer to his question.

“Just promise me that, Sam, please,” Gabriel said in a gentler voice. 

“Ok I promise. But what else can you tell me about what’s coming?” Sam asked. 

“Nothing yet,” Gabriel said. 

“What about how long Dean will be gone for?” Sam asked hopefully. 

“I’ll tell you that after he’s gone. The less you know in advance the better. You shouldn’t know as much as you do.”

“Why did you tell me?” Sam asked softly. 

“Because…” Gabriel cut himself off. Damn hunter kept tugging at his heartstrings and pulling more out of him than he wanted to say. “It doesn’t matter,” he finished, jaw clenched. 

“You keep saying that,” Sam pointed out almost amused. 

“Because it’s the truth. I’ll be back with more info once Dean is gone,” Gabriel said firmly and raised his hand to snap. 

“Wait. Gabriel.”

“What?”

“Are you gonna be able to stay hidden? I mean Ruby could tell exactly what you were so wouldn’t other demons and stuff?” Sam asked worriedly. 

Figures he’d be worried about losing his new ally. “I wasn’t exactly myself at the time. I usually keep my archangel presence hidden behind my pagan one. No one will know what I really am unless I want them to,” Gabriel said. Then he added as almost an afterthought, “Oh and Winchester? If I ever see you look at me with that much pity again, I will remind you exactly why I’m an archangel. Got it?” he said with a glare and when he got a nod in response, he finished his snap and disappeared. 

Sam sighed heavily once he was gone. He still had more questions than answers, and he had even added some new questions on top of it. What was Gabriel avoiding? Why was it in the archangel’s best interests to help them? He realized then that he had never told Gabriel that he did actually care. That he wanted to be his friend. Somehow he had the feeling that such a sentiment wouldn’t be very well received at the moment though. 

He decided that he was going to write down all his questions and put them in order of priority. If he could only manage to get a few questions answered per visit, he would make sure to ask the most important first so he didn’t keep getting side-tracked. He wasn’t sure if that was Gabriel’s intention, but it was definitely a result. 

 

A few days later they left on their next hunt. Someone was stealing organs. None of them were sure it was their kind of thing, but they were bored so it wouldn’t hurt to check it out. Turned out it was their kind of thing after all as there was a mad scientist going around stealing organs to live forever. Jo immediately thought of Dean but wasn’t going to bring it up to him so he took it to Sam. Sam had to admit that if he didn’t know that Dean would be back, he would be tempted along with her, but he felt the need to point something out. “The reason this works for him is because he replaces individual organs as they fail. Dean will be…he’ll…no one can survive hellhounds,” Sam struggled with how to put it without hurting them both more. Just because Dean would be back wouldn’t make it any easier to let him go in the first place. 

“And that means we can’t try? Damnit Sam. It almost seems like you don’t even care anymore. Like you don’t want to save him!” she said heatedly. 

“And how do you think he would feel if we became monsters while trying to save him?” Sam responded just as heatedly. 

“I don’t care! He would be alive!” Jo yelled. 

“They’re not going to stop coming, Jo. Even if we manage to keep him alive for another day. Or two. Or a week. They’re not gonna stop. Our only chance is getting him out of the deal. Not helping him survive it,” Sam said softly trying to make her understand. She finally agreed and they managed to take out the mad scientist before all three of them threw themselves into finding a way to break the deal. 

 

Dean only had two weeks left and it was as though they had made a silent agreement that nothing else would come up in that time. They spent a lot of time researching, but Dean also kept pulling them away to do fun things. Sometimes the three of them together. Sometimes one at a time. They all knew what he was doing. He was grabbing a few more happy memories and saying goodbye. 

When Dean started seeing hellhounds and hallucinating, he knew his time was just about up so he sat Sam and Jo down. “I need you two far away when this goes down,” he said firmly. 

“What? No. No way are we leaving you alone,” Sam protested. 

“Are you really going to be able to stand there and watch the hellhounds tear me apart?” Dean asked pointedly and both of them paled. “No. You won’t,” he answered for them. “You will try to interfere. To help me. And then you will both get hurt or dead. You can’t be there,” he said inviting no argument. 

“You expect us to just let you die alone?” Jo asked, tears in her eyes. 

“I expect you to keep yourselves…and each other…safe,” Dean said looking her right in the eyes. 

“Ok,” Sam cut in. “We won’t be there. But we won’t be far either. And when…when it’s…over…we’ll come…get you,” he said brokenly and his tears seemed to open the dam for Jo who threw herself in Dean’s arms. “I’ll be next door…packing up,” he said wanting to give them some time alone. “Just come get me when you’re ready, Jo.” He rushed out the door. 

He packed his bag, wiping the tears from his eyes. He took his time, knowing that it would be a little while before Jo was ready and then he went to check them out. 

Once they were alone Dean kissed Jo deeply. There was something he needed to say while he still could. He would never have imagined himself saying this and it really wasn’t easy for him, but he couldn’t bear dying without telling her. “Jo. I…I need you to know that I…I love you.”

“I know, Dean,” she said through her tears. “I love you too. Always.” They made love one last time and then left the room to see Sam putting his bags in the impala. 

Sam grabbed Dean in a tight hug, not wanting to let go. No words were said, because none were needed and anything they tried to say would have been wholly inadequate. When they pulled apart though, Dean put a hand on each of their shoulders and said, “You two take care of each other okay?” They both nodded and Dean hugged them both together before saying, “Now get out of here and let me enjoy me peace and quiet.” 

Sam gave a humorless chuckle and pulled Jo over to the car. They were both taking the impala for now. They would come back for Jo’s car later. They needed to stay together to keep each other from rushing back. 

They checked into another motel a few miles away, only getting one room since it’s not like they were going to be sleeping much, if at all, and they needed to be able to lean on each other. They tried to watch TV, but both of them spent more time watching the clock than the TV. They knew the hellhounds came at midnight.


	8. Chapter 8

When the clock struck twelve they both headed for the impala and left. It only took them a few minutes to get back to the other hotel and when they got there they saw Gabriel leaning over Dean’s body as the last of his wounds closed. “Gabriel?” Sam asked confused. 

“You didn’t need to see him like that,” Gabriel said wearily. He didn’t know why he was there. It wasn’t like Sam was in any danger after all. He just wanted to save him some pain. It was stupid of him really. 

“Thank you Gabriel,” he said sincerely, placing a hand on the archangel’s shoulder. “Can you help me explain to Jo now, since you’re here and all?” 

Gabriel sighed. “I suppose,” he said tiredly and turned to Jo. “You need to keep this to yourself. You can’t let on to anyone that you know. Understand?” 

“Keep what to myself?” 

“First promise. Then I’ll tell you,” Gabriel said. 

“Ok. Fine. I promise. Now what the hell is going on here?” 

“Dean will be back,” Sam couldn’t hold it in anymore. 

Jo’s jaw dropped. “What do you mean he’ll be back. He’s dead Sam. He’s in hell. There’s no coming back from that,” she said heatedly wondering what the hunter was playing at. 

“Normally, you’d be right,” Gabriel chimed in. “But there are special circumstances here. Dean will be pulled out of hell in about four months, by your time, though it’ll be about forty years for him. Then he’ll be alive and kicking again.”

“How?” Jo asked brokenly, not wanting to imagine what forty years in hell would be like. 

“I can’t tell you much. Not yet,” he said sympathetically. 

“How do you know all this?” she asked. 

“Because he’s from the future,” Sam said getting a glare from Gabriel. 

“What? She needed to know that much,” Sam said with a shrug. 

“Fine. Yes. I’m from the future. I was thrown back in time and my brain got a little scrambled which is how Sam found me before,” he said annoyed, but making it seem like his mental issues were from the time travel rather than what had happened before that. 

“So he’ll be okay?” she asked hopefully. 

“Mostly,” Gabriel said. “He won’t be the same. Decades of torture changes a man. But he’ll still be himself. Just a little more broken.”

“Broken how?” Sam asked thinking of what Gabriel was like when they found him and hoping against hope that his brother wouldn’t end up like that. 

“Nightmares, jumpiness, maybe a few more neurosis, but nothing major,” Gabriel said, knowing what Sam was thinking and resisting the urge to glare at him again. 

“I…um…what should we…you know…do with him?” Sam asked. 

“Bury him. It would look suspicious if you didn’t. But not too deep. He’ll have to dig himself out after he wakes up, and before you ask, no you can’t dig him up. He will be being watched and they can’t know there’s another player on the board. You can be close to where he’s buried though so you can go get him when he calls you.”

“I’m thinking there’s more going on than we think,” Sam said narrowing his eyes at the archangel. 

“If you mean, you’re being played like fiddles by forces you don’t understand, then you’d be right. This is a chess game, kiddos. And if we’re gonna win, we need to play smart. You’ll know what you need to know when you need to know it. Just be careful and when in doubt, ask. You know how to reach me,” Gabriel said as he disappeared. 

“How long have you known?” Jo asked Sam accusingly. 

“Since the day after Gabriel ‘woke up’” he admitted. 

“And you didn’t tell me? You didn’t tell him there was hope?” she asked heatedly. 

“I couldn’t. Gabriel was very clear on that. He said he shouldn’t have even told me so soon. You heard him. We’re being played and who knows how closely we’re being watched. We couldn’t let on and the more people who knew the more difficult it would be. And how long do you think Dean could hold up under torture without letting on that he would be getting out? And he would have noticed if we both knew. I always had every intention of telling you as soon as I could, which Gabriel said was after he was gone,” Sam tried to explain himself. 

“And you trust him that much? Letting him dictate to you like that?” she asked pointedly.

“Yeah. I do. Because I don’t have a choice. He knows things that we don’t and he’s going to help us fight this thing. Whatever it is. So yeah. I have to trust him,” Sam told her. 

“And how do you know he’s not the one playing us?” 

Sam remembered how Gabriel had protected him, even when he wasn’t all there, and somehow just knew that the archangel was on their side. “I just know,” Sam said softly. 

She huffed, but sat down on the bed and put her head in her hands. She had to admit that Sam had a point about not being able to hide it from Dean and not being able to risk Dean letting on. She wasn’t sure that she trusted Gabriel as much as Sam seemed to, but Sam’s instincts were usually pretty good, so she would give him the benefit of the doubt. For now. He knew Gabriel better than she did obviously. “What did he mean by knowing how to contact him?” she asked. She needed to know too after all. 

“Pray to him.”

“Right,” she said. Obviously. “Ok. So…I guess we need to…you know,” she said gesturing at Dean’s body. 

“Yeah. We need an out of the way place that no one will stumble over, but still close enough to somewhere Dean can at least get to a phone pretty quickly,” Sam considered. 

“What about that little gas station we passed on the way into town? It seemed practically deserted and there were those woods behind it, and it had a pay phone out front,” Jo suggested and Sam agreed and they loaded the body into the car, glad that no one seemed to be around in the middle of the night. 

She couldn’t bear to ride in the same car with Dean’s body so she took her own car. She would leave it at the deserted gas station for Dean, just in case. It would be easier since it was just her and Sam for a while to ride together. They couldn’t resist putting a tube into the box they buried him in leading to the surface though. 

They headed back to their new motel and Jo got her own room, since she was in a little better shape now and they got a few hours of sleep. They could figure out the rest in the morning. 

 

The next morning, they figured out where to go from there. “We can’t just stay here for the next four months,” Sam pointed out. “We need to be out there hunting. It’s what Dean would want us to do.”

“You’re right. I know you’re right. It’s just…” she trailed off. 

“I know. I don’t want to leave either. But we’ll come back. We’ll make sure we’re close by when the time comes,” Sam assured her. 

“I would feel better if we had an exact date,” she said. 

“Well maybe we can get one from Gabriel?” Sam suggested hopefully and prayed to him hoping they could get a bit more clarification from him. 

“Questions already Samsquatch?” Gabriel drawled from his spot leaning against the wall. 

“I just wondered if you had a date for when Dean gets out so we can make sure we’re close by?” Sam asked. 

“September 18th,” he told them, hoping he didn’t need to caution them again on secrecy. 

“Why are you doing this?” Jo asked, unable to help herself anymore. 

“Excuse me?” Gabriel asked, narrowing his eyes at her. 

“Sam may trust you, but I don’t. Why are you helping us? Why are you telling us all this?” 

“It just so happens that your interests and mine dovetail quite nicely,” he said annoyed. 

“And what happens if they don’t anymore?” she asked suspiciously. 

“Then I’ll do what’s best for Sa…you guys,” he tried to cover his slip of the tongue. “Look. I don’t choose sides often, but when I do I stick to it so take it or leave it,” he snapped. 

She nodded tersely. She would still keep an eye on things, but she caught his slip of the tongue and started forming her own suspicions about his motivations. 

Sam had caught it too but wasn’t going to bring it up in front of Jo, whether she noticed or not, he suspected that Gabriel would take it badly enough bringing it up when they were alone without adding someone else to the mix. He would definitely be bringing it up though.


	9. Chapter 9

That night, once he and Jo were settled into another motel, Sam prayed to Gabriel again. 

“You do realize that I have a life other than being at your beck and call right?” he asked with a raised eyebrow from his place leaning against the wall. 

“Yeah. I know,” Sam said with a wry smile. “And I get that you’re not gonna tell me any more about this whole situation with Dean yet, but there are some other things I’d like to know about.”

“And what makes you think I’ll answer?” Gabriel asked with a smirk. 

“You’re here. Which means you’ll listen. And hopefully at least consider answering,” Sam smirked back. 

“Fine. Ask. But keep in mind that my patience is not unlimited and I have a tropical beach waiting for me so make it quick,” Gabriel said, curious as to what else the hunter could be asking about. 

Sam had considered this carefully and knew he had to work up to the whole slip of the tongue thing so he started somewhere else. “What happened to you when you came back in time?” 

“This again?” Gabriel said impatiently. “Why do you want to know so badly?”

“Because whether you believe it or not I care. For more than just what you can do for us,” Sam said sincerely. 

Gabriel rolled his eyes. “You don’t like me Sam. You never have. I’m supposed to believe that’s suddenly changed?”

“It has,” Sam said. 

Gabriel narrowed his eyes at the hunter. “What do you want from me Sam?” he asked suspiciously. 

“I want to help you,” Sam said. 

“Well you did. Thank you,” Gabriel said shortly.

“Why won’t you just answer the question?” Sam asked annoyed. 

“You died Sam. Okay? That’s what happened,” Gabriel snapped. 

Sam blinked at him for a moment. “Why…why would that…affect you so badly?” he asked caught completely off guard. 

“It doesn’t matter,” Gabriel said frustrated at himself for saying that in the first place. He raised his hand to snap himself out of there before he got in too deep, but Sam grabbed his wrist. 

The hunter was starting to form a suspicion of his own. Gabriel always trying to protect him. Helping him. Telling him things he shouldn’t have because Sam was upset. His reaction to Sam’s death in the future. The slip of his tongue earlier. Sam couldn’t let him leave. “Gabriel,” he said softly holding onto the archangel’s wrist. “Stop running.”

“Why should I? It’s what I’m good at. Running from heaven. Running from you. Running from my brothers. It’s what I do,” he said derisively. 

“Maybe if you did, then you might find something worth staying for?” Sam suggested. 

“You have no idea what you’re dealing with Sam,” Gabriel warned. 

“Then tell me,” Sam pleaded. 

Gabriel let his head fall back against the wall with a thump. He was going to regret this. He knew he would, but he couldn’t resist Sam’s puppy eyes. “Fine,” he said snatching his wrist from Sam’s grip. “When a person’s soulmate dies it destroys them. They usually die, but in the extremely rare case they survive their mind is broken. That’s what happened to me. Happy now?” Gabriel said heatedly not waiting for a response before he disappeared. 

Gabriel appeared back on his beach and fell to his knees in the sand. He couldn’t believe he had just told the stupid hunter the one thing he swore to never let him know. He heard the prayers for him to come back but just ignored them. He couldn’t face him right now. He didn’t know if he’d ever be able to face him again. 

 

After Gabriel disappeared, Sam just stood there in shock for a minute considering the implications of what Gabriel had said. Soulmates. And Gabriel knew about it for how long? Judging by his disbelief that Sam could actually care, the hunter presumed that either he had rejected Gabriel in the future, or more likely knowing the archangel, Gabriel had never told him. Sam tried praying for Gabriel to come back, but he didn’t expect a response. Sam figured that was a good thing since he had no idea what to say anyway.

Sam wanted to know more about this soulmate thing and how it worked, but that was more just his innate curiosity than an actual need to know. The big question was how did he feel about it? He knew that he didn’t love Gabriel. He barely knew him. He cared though obviously. And maybe it could turn into more…if Gabriel would stop running long enough to let it. But did he want it to? Sam wasn’t gay. He didn’t usually like men, but he had to admit there was something enticing about Gabriel, and he remembered how well the archangel had fit in his arms. The idea of having a soulmate, someone that you were just meant for was nice. And Gabriel was an archangel. Who wouldn’t want the love of something so pure, runaway or not. Yeah. He decided. He did want it to become more. He wanted a chance. Now how to convince Gabriel to give him one. 

He and Jo were making a pretty good team. They ended up taking out the nest of vamps they had chased to this town. Sam continued praying to Gabriel every night without response, and finally ended up asking Jo for advice. “So you’re his soulmate and he ended up like that because he saw you die in the future?” she confirmed. 

“Yeah. But now he won’t even talk to me. He just disappeared and won’t respond to any of my prayers,” Sam said sadly. 

“What do you want out of this?” she asked curiously. It would help her give better advice if she knew what it was for.

“I want him to talk to me. I want to get a chance to get to know him and see if there might be more there,” Sam said earnestly. 

“So you’re open to the idea of a relationship with him?” she wanted to be sure she understood. 

“Yeah. I am. But I’m not gonna just jump into something with someone I barely know either,” he clarified. 

“Of course. That makes sense. Does he know that?” 

“No. He left before I could say a word, and I don’t really want to go there over a prayer when I can’t even be sure he’s listening.”

“Yeah. Good point. So what you need is just to get him here then?”

“Exactly,” Sam said hoping she had some ideas. 

“Well…it might be a little extreme…” she started hesitantly. 

“I’ve been praying for three weeks with no response. I’ll take extreme,” he said with a chuckle.

“Well he seems to have a vested interest in your safety right?” Sam nodded getting an idea of where she was going with this. “So if you were hurt, he would come heal you?”

“It would have to be pretty badly. I don’t think he’d come for bumps and bruises. Otherwise he would have showed up after that nest of vamps,” Sam pointed out. 

“The question is being you willing to go that far?” she asked. 

Sam considered it for a moment. “Not yet. But I’ll keep the option in mind if he doesn’t show his annoying little face soon.” She laughed and he said, “You don’t have any less drastic ideas?”

She thought about it for a few minutes before she shrugged and said, “You could try driving him crazy and annoying the crap out of him with constant prayers until he shows up.”

“You think that’ll work?” he asked hopefully. 

“If nothing else, maybe he’ll show up just to yell at you and tell you to stop.”

Sam laughed and said, “You may be right. It’s worth a shot. Thanks Jo.”

“Anytime, Sam,” she said with a smile. “You gonna be ready to head out in the morning? I got wind of a possible werewolf in Iowa.”

“Yeah. Sounds good,” Sam said as he left her alone. It was getting pretty late. He would start his annoyance tactic tomorrow.


	10. Chapter 10

Gabriel paced the beach frustrated. Sam was driving him crazy. The damn kid wouldn’t stop praying. He thought about turning him off, but he needed to be able to get a message if he was actually in trouble so he didn’t dare. He thought about going to see him when he was with the girl to try and avoid the issue, but he knew Sam well enough to know that when he was this determined nothing would stop him. Not even her presence. Finally, he just sighed. Might as well get it over with. He waited until the hunter was alone in his room and flew there. “What do you want?” he barked.

“You left before I could say anything before,” Sam said caught off guard by the fact that Gabriel had actually showed. 

“What? Were you going to fall to your knees and profess your undying love for me?” he sneered sarcastically. When Sam just gaped at him he said, “Yeah that’s what I thought. Just stop praying to me every ten minutes would you?” he snapped as he raised his hand. This was the best he could hope for. Keep Sam off guard enough to say what he needed to say and get out. 

He didn’t quite make it though as Sam grabbed his hand, preventing him from snapping his fingers. He could have broken the hunter’s hold, and possibly his hand too, but something prevented him from doing so. “Gabriel…please just…listen for a minute,” Sam begged. 

Gabriel sighed and nodded, lowering his hand and Sam took a step back. “What I said before still holds. If you would stop running you might find something worth staying for,” he said softly. 

Gabriel narrowed his eyes at the hunter. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that you won’t stay long enough for me to figure out what I want from this. I want a chance to see if there could be something here. Just give me that chance, Gabriel,” Sam said sincerely. 

“The chance to see that you’re better off without me? I already know that, thanks,” he said derisively. 

“So that’s it then? You know better so my choice doesn’t count? I thought humans had free will,” Sam countered trying to make a point. 

“And your free will negates mine?” Gabriel asked pointedly. 

“Not at all. You want nothing to do with me, feel free to leave and I’ll stop bothering you, but don’t make that choice for me. If you want me, then stop running and give me a chance to figure out what I want.” 

“You don’t even like men,” Gabriel protested.

“Maybe I just hadn’t met the right one yet,” Sam responded with a soft smile. 

Gabriel looked at him searchingly. Would he really be open to the idea of being with him? He had to be sure. He stepped forward and pressed a light kiss to the hunter’s lips. If he pulled back or looked disgusted or something, then Gabriel would know that it was all talk. 

Sam was surprised when Gabriel kissed him. It felt different, kissing a guy, but not bad. He leaned into the kiss, adding a little more pressure to the feather light brush of lips that Gabriel had initiated, and then the archangel pulled back and scrutinized the hunter once more. When he saw the small smile and slightly dazed look on the hunter’s face he couldn’t help his own smile. He would give Sam his chance. But not right now. That little chaste, barely there, kiss had his heart beating a mile a minute and he knew if he stuck around right now, he wouldn’t be able to help pushing for more and he wasn’t about to risk ruining this before it began. Not like he was about to explain that though so he just said, “I’ll think about it,” and snapped his fingers and disappeared. 

He reappeared back on his beach, snapped up a drink, and collapsed into his hammock with a grin on his face. Oh he was still tempted to keep running, and probably would be unless or until the hunter made an actual commitment, but Sam’s words kept echoing in his mind, ‘maybe you’ll find something worth staying for’, and he couldn’t help but hope that Sam was right. 

 

The next evening, Gabriel popped in on Sam and Jo, landing sprawled on the couch next to where they were working at the table. “Whatcha workin on?” he asked lazily. 

Sam grinned at him and said, “Just trying to figure out who the werewolf here is.”

“Want some help?” Gabriel asked with a shrug. He was here anyway. Might as well pitch in. 

“Yeah sure,” Jo said. The sooner they could figure it out the fewer people would die after all. 

Gabriel disappeared and came back five minutes later with a transformed werewolf in tow. Sam and Jo scrambled off their chairs grabbing for their guns, but Gabriel just grinned and ran it through with his blade. “What the hell, Gabriel!” Sam asked panting as his heart slowly returned to its normal rhythm. 

“Well I found it, but it was about to chow down so I figured you’d rather me save the girl, but then you might want to see it disposed of just to be sure so I brought it here,” Gabriel said with a lop-sided amused smile. 

“Yes…well…thank you…but a little warning next time?” Jo asked hopefully. 

“Sure thing hot stuff,” Gabriel said plopping back on the couch snapping his fingers to make the body disappear. Sam wanted to get to know him and he was going to be himself. He definitely wasn’t going to make an extra effort to be nice and agreeable just to get the hunter to like him. That would be childish and dishonest. 

Sam just rolled his eyes and shook his head indulgently. “So what are you doing here?” he asked conversationally. 

“Meh. Was bored. Thought I’d come hang out,” the archangel said dismissively. Jo was considering making her excuses to leave, but Gabriel quickly engaged her in conversation so she figured that he wanted her there, and Sam didn’t try to signal her to leave either so she just sat back and enjoyed herself as they all chatted amicably for a few hours. 

When it started getting late, she did make her excuses and head to her own room to go to bed. Once she was gone, Gabriel said, “I should probably go too. Let you get your beauty sleep,” he said teasingly to the hunter. 

“You don’t have to go just yet,” Sam said hopefully. Gabriel raised a curious eyebrow at him, seeing that he had a burning question. Sam smiled a little sheepishly and asked, “What was this about? I mean, you’re welcome to hang with us whenever of course. It’s just…you usually come when I’m alone.”

Gabriel shrugged a little uncomfortably. “You said you wanted to get to know me. I figured that would be easier and have less potential to get awkward in a group thing.” 

“Yeah. I get that. It doesn’t mean we can’t hang out just the two of us too though,” Sam told him, not missing how quickly he tried to leave as soon as they were alone. 

“Yeah. Okay. I just…don’t really know what I’m doing here,” Gabriel said self-consciously. 

“S’okay Gabe. I get it,” Sam said plopping himself down on the other end of the couch. He thought about asking more about this whole soulmate thing, but didn’t want to scare Gabriel off the first time he actually took the time to hang out. Maybe next time he would ask. Instead he just changed the subject back to little things and they spent another hour talking before Sam started yawning. 

Gabriel chuckled a bit. “And now I guess I really should let you get your beauty sleep.”

“Yeah. Probably,” Sam said with a grin. “Goodnight Gabriel.”

“Night Samsquatch,” Gabriel said with a wink as he disappeared. 

The next night, about half an hour after Jo left, Sam brought up the soulmates thing. “So I’m curious,” Sam started to say. 

“You’re always curious,” Gabriel interrupted him. 

“Point. But I was wondering how this whole soulmate thing works. What does it mean?”

“I…um…I’d really rather not go into too much detail just yet,” Gabriel stuttered over his words. 

“Why not?” Sam asked curiously. 

“I don’t want to risk…influencing your decision,” he said twitching like he really wanted to just disappear but making himself stay put. 

“So you’re afraid of scaring me off?” Sam guessed with a smile and a raised eyebrow. 

“Or pushing you into trying,” Gabriel said. 

“Isn’t that what you want?” Sam asked curiously. 

“Not that way,” Gabriel said sincerely. “Not if it’s not real.”

Sam couldn’t help but grin at that. “Okay. I can understand that. And thanks,” he said happily. Seeing how uncomfortable Gabriel was with the subject, he quickly changed it and watched as a switch flipped in the archangel and he was once again animated and cheerful as they told stories long into the night.


	11. Chapter 11

Things continued on for the next two months like that. Gabriel would stop by nearly every night and spend some time with Jo and Sam, and then stick around for a while after Jo headed off to bed and hang out with Sam alone. It figured that Jo would notice first as she accosted him one morning as they were headed out. “You’re falling for him,” she accused with a grin. 

“I…” Sam started to deny it, but then realized that she was right. “I am,” he finally admitted with a grin. 

“You gonna tell him?” she asked. 

Sam thought about it for a moment. He knew what Gabriel wanted and where he stood, so it was really a no brainer. “Yeah. I guess so.”

“I’ll clear out early tonight then,” she offered, knowing that heading out as soon as Gabriel got there would put him on alert, so she would stay for a little while before making her excuses to leave. 

“Thanks Jo,” he said sincerely, both for giving him time, and for pointing out the obvious that he had apparently missed. 

When Gabriel showed up that night it was only about thirty minutes before Jo said she was tired and was going to go lay down. “What was that about?” Gabriel asked curiously as she left. He wasn’t fooled. 

Sam’s heart was beating furiously and his hands were shaking a bit as he leaned over and pressed his lips to Gabriel’s. The archangel’s hand immediately came up to cup Sam’s cheek as he leaned into the kiss blissfully. “Sam…” he breathed out as the hunter pulled back a bit. 

“I…I love you, Gabriel,” Sam stammered out in a whisper only to have Gabriel’s lips crash back into his own. Gabriel waited for Sam to deepen the kiss, and he did after a moment, and Gabriel’s tongue happily joined the dance. 

When they broke for air, Gabriel rested his forehead against Sam’s and whispered, “I love you, Sam.”

Sam grinned and leaned in for another kiss, this time pulling Gabriel over so that the archangel was straddling his lap, and he wrapped his arms around the smaller man pulling him tightly against him. Gabriel had long wished that he could actually remember everything that happened while he was insane, just so that he could remember the feeling of being in the hunter’s arms, and it was better than he could have imagined. 

It wasn’t long before Gabriel felt Sam’s erection brushing lightly against his own and instinctively pressed his hips down as a small moan was pulled from him. Sam pulled back nervously and Gabriel lifted up and away a bit and he said breathlessly, “You want to stop?” 

“I…no…I don’t…I’m just…nervous…I’ve never…with a guy…” Sam stammered out blushing brightly. 

“We can take things slow if you want, but if you want to keep going I’ll be gentle. It’s completely up to you,” Gabriel said sincerely. He had waited what felt like forever for this. He could wait a little longer. 

Sam thought about it for a minute. He wanted to keep going. Putting it off wouldn’t make him less nervous about their first time. In fact, it would probably make him more nervous. “Keep going,” he whispered pulling Gabriel back to him and kissing him again and this time when Gabriel’s erection pressed against his, Sam pulled him in tighter. Gabriel hummed contentedly into the kiss and rocked his hips over Sam’s pulling a gasp and a moan from the hunter and Gabriel grinned and moved his lips to Sam’s neck as his hands started unbuttoning Sam’s shirt. 

He felt Sam’s hands slide under his shirt running over his back and before long, he was sliding Sam’s shirt off his shoulders before leaning back to strip his own shirt over his head and kissing Sam deeply again as he just rocked in the hunter’s lap. After a few minutes for Sam to get used to that Gabriel pulled back and whispered, “Bed?” 

Sam nodded and they were suddenly in bed, with Gabriel straddling Sam’s lap still as he kissed the hunter senseless. If Gabriel wasn’t careful he was going to get off like this before they even got to the main event, but he was determined to go slow for Sam’s sake so he moved his mouth to the hunter’s neck and down over his collarbones as Sam’s hands moved over his back and sides and was thrusting his hips up to meet Gabriel’s slow rolls. 

Gabriel moved down Sam’s chest, swirling his tongue around a nipple before taking it in his mouth causing Sam to arch up off the bed with a moan and cling tighter to the archangel. Gabriel couldn’t help but grin against the hunter’s chest. If this was getting him that hot, he was gonna be a quivering mess before long. He took his time with Sam’s nipples since he obviously liked it so much, using his mouth on one and a hand on the other before switching. 

Eventually though, he had to get the show on the road and started moving down, kissing and licking over the hunter’s stomach reaching down to unbutton Sam’s pants. He hooked his thumbs in the sides but before he slid them down he asked, “No second thoughts?”

“G-god n-no,” Sam said shakily. 

Gabriel just grinned and lowered Sam’s pants and boxers in one swift moving, freeing the hunter’s large aching cock. Gabriel leaned down and gave a quick lick over the tip, lapping up the pre-cum there and Sam gave a low moan. Gabriel licked a long stripe up the underside, from base to tip and Sam whimpered and thrust up. Gabriel held still and opened his mouth to take it, following it back down and taking him all the way to the root and he felt the hunter’s hand tighten in his hair as he gasped. “Oh…god…Gabriel!”

Gabriel moved a now slick hand down and probed experimentally at Sam’s entrance and when the hunter didn’t stop him he slid a finger in, going immediately for the sweet spot and Sam arched off the bed again and if there were supposed to be words coming from his mouth they were unintelligible. Gabriel slowly moved his finger in and out while his tongue danced over Sam’s cock as he was sucking and bobbing his head. He was careful not to get Sam too close to the edge. If they didn’t make it to the finale, and soon, Gabriel might just explode. 

Gabriel had given up on slow and prepped the hunter as quickly as he could before removing his own pants as Sam whined from the loss of the fingers in his ass and the mouth on his dick, but soon forgot about it as he felt Gabriel’s cock pressing against his tight hole. Gabriel slid in slowly, knowing the first time was bad enough, but as big as he was, he fully expected what came next as Sam said, “Wait…Gabriel…”

Gabriel bit nearly through his lip in his efforts to do so, and only let a small whimper escape. “Just…t-tell me when…S-sammy,” he panted. 

After a moment Sam nodded, and despite the physical pain at doing so, Gabriel continued slowly until he was balls deep in the hunter and then leaned down for a long deep kiss before he started slowly rolling his hips pulling moans from both of them. Gabriel quickly picked up the pace. “Sorry…Sammy…not gonna…last…very long…this time…” he gasped out. He had taken way too long getting to this point. 

“Me…either,” Sam replied as he thrust his hips up to meet every thrust, pulling Gabriel in even deeper. Gabriel reached forward and grabbed Sam’s cock and started pumping his hand in time with his thrusts and before long Sam was spilling over his hand with a cry of, “Gah…Gabe!” and pulling Gabriel over the edge with him as he cried out Sam’s name slamming deep and hard one last time. 

He leaned down for another kiss before slowly pulling out and sliding in bed next to Sam, sighing contentedly as the hunter pulled him close. “Love you Sammy,” he said as he snuggled tightly against him. 

“I love you Gabriel,” Sam replied pressing a kiss to the archangel’s head. He waited a few moments before asking, “So can you tell me about soulmates now?”

Gabriel huffed a laugh. “Sure Samshine. Soulmates are very rare and only certain beings can tell when they meet their soulmate. I could tell the moment I first saw you that you were my soulmate. Hence my slightly over the top flirting,” he explained with a grin and Sam laughed remembering that. “A lot of times when people die in their sleep with no warning, it’s because their soulmate has died.”

“So what does that mean for us now that we’re together?” Sam asked curiously. 

“Well that’s up to you. We can complete a soul bond, which means you’ll live forever with me, or we can continue with a human relationship in which case I’ll die with you,” Gabriel said unconcerned. 

Sam was a little shocked that Gabriel could talk about his own death so non-chalantly. “Doesn’t the idea of dying bother you?” he asked incredulously. 

“Not if it would mean living without you,” he said softly. “And I would never ask you to do something you weren’t comfortable with. No matter what.”

It suddenly hit Sam that Gabriel cared more about Sam’s comfort and happiness than he did his own life. “This soul bond thing. Do we have to do it right away or…” Sam let the question hang. 

“No. We can do it today or thirty years from now. When or if you’re ready,” Gabriel said. “And please…promise me that you’ll never agree to it just for my sake. Only if it’s what you really want,” Gabriel begged propping himself up to look in the hunter’s eyes. 

“I…I promise,” Sam said softly as he lifted his head to kiss Gabriel. They lay there quietly just mapping each other’s bodies with their hands until Sam drifted off to sleep. Gabriel gave a warm smile and snapped his fingers covering them up and just lay there with him all night.


	12. Chapter 12

The next morning, Gabriel watched as Sam started to stir and leaned down to kiss him. Sam instinctively leaned into the kiss for more and by the time Gabriel pulled back, Sam was fully awake and grinning at him. “Now that’s a nice way to wake up,” he said brightly. 

“Good. Get used to it,” Gabriel said with his own grin. 

“Happily,” Sam said pulling Gabriel into another kiss. “It’s nice waking up next to you again. Even better that you’re aware of it this time.” He wanted to know more about how Gabriel had gotten better and figured that was the best way to bring it up. 

“You mean when I’m not being a burdensome child?” Gabriel said bitterly. 

“Don’t be like that, Gabe,” Sam said patiently. “You know it wasn’t your fault and I’m glad I could help, even though I don’t know how I helped.”

“You helped by being there,” Gabriel said softly. When he saw Sam looking at him curiously he sighed. “My mind broke when you died. The constant contact with you and proximity to your soul healed it.”

“That’s why you were in such bad shape when I had to leave for a few minutes? And why it got easier as time went on?”

“Exactly. I still can’t remember it, but I would imagine that my mind felt like it was being torn apart again when you left, but the more it was healed the easier it was to handle,” Gabriel told him. 

“Well for what it’s worth, I’m sorry I was such a brat about it at first,” Sam said sheepishly. 

“You’re kidding right?” Gabriel asked incredulously. “Most people would have just dumped me somewhere and forgotten about me. I’m the one who should be sorry.”

“You were sick. You don’t get to apologize for that,” Sam told him firmly. 

“Fine. But can I be embarrassed about it at least?” Gabriel asked petulantly. 

“You shouldn’t be,” Sam said softly pulling him into another kiss. He was both glad and sorry that he brought it up. Knowing that just being close to him healed Gabriel’s mind was a great feeling, but he could see that Gabriel didn’t like talking about it, and was in fact, fighting with himself about running again. Gabriel relaxed into the kiss and was grinning again when it ended. 

“Any more burning questions?” Gabriel asked hesitantly, not sure he wanted to know. 

“Why didn’t you ever tell me?” Sam asked. 

“I did tell you,” Gabriel pointed out. 

“I mean in the future.”

“What makes you think I didn’t?” Gabriel asked suspiciously. 

“Because no way would I have rejected you without giving you a chance and if I had then we would have been together then and you wouldn’t have hesitated to tell me when you got back here,” Sam said smugly. 

“You’re the one who pointed out my tendency to run rather than take risks,” Gabriel said glumly. 

“Well see what happens when you stop running?” Sam said nuzzling the archangel’s neck. 

“Well there are some things still worth running from,” Gabriel said pointedly, though he would admit the hunter’s point in this situation. 

“But not me. Don’t ever run from me again, okay?” Sam asked hopefully. He wasn’t naïve enough to think that they wouldn’t have their issues at some point and he wanted to know that the archangel was going to stick around to fix them rather than running away. 

“I’ll do my best kiddo. Feel free to call me on it if I do,” Gabriel said sincerely. 

About that time Sam’s phone went off. He grabbed it and checked the message. “That was Jo. She found us a job.”

“Well I’ll let you get on with your day then,” Gabriel said with a smile. 

“At least stay for breakfast,” Sam asked. 

Gabriel nodded, glad that Sam was willing to freely admit their relationship and snapped his fingers creating a large breakfast buffet on the table. Sam laughed and sent a text back to Jo to come by in five minutes for breakfast before getting out of bed and looking for some clothes. 

When she got there she looked back and forth between Sam and Gabriel with a knowing smirk and said, “Eventful night?”

“Oh very much so,” Gabriel said suggestively squeezing Sam’s ass while the hunter turned bright red and Jo laughed. Breakfast was filled with joking and innuendos between Jo and Gabriel, while Sam stayed in varying shades of red. He didn’t mind though as evidenced by his arm that kept Gabriel pulled close. 

After they were done eating, Gabriel stood and said, “Well I’ll let you get to it. Just pray if you need me and I’ll see you tonight,” and pressed a short kiss to the hunter’s lips before disappearing. 

 

It wasn’t long before it was time for Dean to come back and they found themselves back at the same motel they had waited in. They couldn’t bear to stay in the one he had died in. Gabriel had some last minute instructions for them. “He’ll be being watched, at least for a while, so be very careful what you say. If you have a way to let him know that he’s being watched without being obvious about it so he keeps his mouth shut too then great. Otherwise, act the way you normally would, but whatever you do don’t mention me or any foreknowledge. I’ll disappear when you get the call, but I’ll be back once your watcher disappears and we can talk freely then. Everyone understand?”

“Yeah, Gabe. We got it. Play it cool. We know nothing at all until you’re back,” Sam summarized and Jo just nodded. 

A few hours later, Sam’s phone rang and Gabriel gave him a short kiss before disappearing. Sam grabbed the phone and forced a calm and confused tone as he said, “Hello?”

“Sammy?” he heard his brother’s relieved voice. 

“Dean? But…how?” he played his part. 

“I’m out Sammy. I don’t know how. I just woke up buried in a box,” Dean said. 

“We’ll come get you…I’m guessing you’re still near where we buried you?” he said wincing as he almost blew it. 

“Yeah. I am,” Dean said relieved. 

“Ok great. And you have something stuck to your shoe,” Sam added as an afterthought. 

“Thanks Sammy,” Dean said cautiously as he surreptitiously looked around seeing nothing. 

“No problem. We’ll be right there,” Sam said and hung up. 

The entire time he had been on the phone Jo had been sitting there with her hands over her mouth and tears in her eyes. Knowing that it was only Dean that was being watched for now she felt free to ask, “How did he sound? Is he okay?”

“He sounded like Dean. Maybe a little gruffer than usual, but otherwise okay,” Sam told her as he grabbed the keys and they headed out. 

There was no conversation in the car. Neither of them knew what to say and they didn’t know how far away Dean’s watcher could hear from so better safe than sorry. They saw Dean coming out of the gas station, with an armload of power bars and water and all the windows were busted out and there was blood dripping from his ears. 

“What the hell happened?” Sam said getting out of the car. Jo beat him to Dean of course and just jumped in his arms and he held her tight. When Sam reached them he wrapped his arms around both of them and one of Dean’s detached from Jo and held Sam just as tightly. 

“I have no idea. There was this loud high pitched sound and all the glass busted,” Dean said in response to Sam’s question. They all wondered if it had anything to do with the watcher, but none of them dared let on that they knew about that so no more was said on the subject. 

“Dude, you need more to eat than that crap,” Sam said gesturing to the power bars Dean was holding. “We’ll stop and pick something up on the way back.”

They got back to the car and after Dean gushed over ‘his baby’ for a moment they got in and headed back to the motel. Dean refused to let Sam drive so Sam told him how to get back to the motel, after stopping at a diner for double bacon cheeseburgers of course. When they got back and Dean dug into the food he asked, “Still got something stuck to my shoe?”

“Yeah,” Jo responded, resisting the urge to look around. 

Dean wanted to ask how she knew, but knew better than that right now. He would get his questions answered soon enough. Once he was done eating he went to take a shower. 

About halfway through his shower Gabriel appeared in Sam’s lap pulling him into a kiss. Despite the frequency of such an action, Sam still jumped, but unlike the first few times, didn’t dump Gabriel in the floor anymore. He had long since stopped bothering to ask him to stop doing that. “So do we get explanations now?” Sam asked. 

“Once Deano gets out of the shower, I’ll tell you guys everything I can. It’s time to start the game for real now,” Gabriel told them.


	13. Chapter 13

Dean came out of the bathroom feeling like a whole new man, at least until he saw the archangel in his brother’s lap nuzzling at his neck while Jo laughed. “Oh come on. Seriously? This is what you get up to while I’m rotting in hell?”

Jo smacked him lightly. “Stop it Dean. They’re good for each other,” she admonished him and pulled him down sitting in his lap too. 

“Ok. Explanations,” Gabriel said suddenly serious. 

“It’s safe now?” Dean asked. 

“Yeah. Gabriel wouldn’t have come back until your watcher was gone. That’s how we knew he was still there,” Sam told him. 

“Ok good. So what the hell is going on?” Dean asked frustrated. 

“Long story short. You boys are being played. By both heaven and hell in an attempt to start the apocalypse,” Gabriel told them. “You were rescued from hell by angels but not until after the first seal was broken,” he said looking apologetically at Dean. 

“First seal? What the hell is that? How did it break?” Dean asked. 

“You sure you want me to go into that?” Gabriel asked. 

“Hell yeah I do. I want to know what’s going on here,” Dean said heatedly. 

“Ok. Well. The seals are the locks holding Lucifer in his cage. As far as how the seal broke…well…” Gabriel got a faraway look in his eye as he quoted, “it is written that when the righteous man sheds innocent blood in hell the first seal shall be torn asunder. As he breaks so too shall it break.”

Sam and Jo gasped and Dean jumped up, almost dumping Jo on the floor, but she managed to right herself in time, and started pacing. He couldn’t look at the others. Now he knew why Gabriel asked him if he really wanted him to go there. It was Gabriel that tried to talk him down though since the others were still in shock at the implications. “It wasn’t your fault Dean. They would have made you do it no matter how hard you resisted. The longer you resisted the longer you would have been there, because the angels wouldn’t have come for you until it broke.”

“You knew! You knew and you did nothing!” Dean yelled as he turned to Gabriel. 

“And what would you have had me do hmm?” Gabriel snapped. “I tried to make friends with you so you would call me instead of a damn demon when Sam died. Hell I even tuned into you so that if you gave an open prayer I would hear it anyway, but you didn’t even pray! Not once! Your first option was to sell your damn soul and there was nothing I could do!”

“You could have gotten me out before I broke, damnit!” 

“No. I couldn’t. It took an entire army of angels to bust you out, Dean. I’m just one, and yeah, I’m a lot stronger than your average angel, but not that strong. Even if I could have, it would have tipped our hand and outed me and that would have made things a whole lot worse,” Gabriel explained. 

Dean still hadn’t looked at anyone else, unwilling to see the disgust in their faces, but Jo stood up and took his face in her hands and kissed him soundly. “You were there for forty years, Dean. I can’t imagine what you must have gone through. Anyone would have broken and I don’t blame you.”

“Yeah. What she said,” Sam chimed in. 

“You should blame me! The things I did…I…” Dean trailed off. 

“If you want to talk we’ll listen, but none of it matters,” Jo told him gently. 

“She’s right. You’re the toughest person I’ve ever met. I know that you wouldn’t have broken easily. You can’t be blamed for something that you were forced into,” Sam said.

Dean relaxed slightly. He still looked haunted, but he sat back down and said, “Ok. Fine. So I broke the first seal. Now what?”

“Now, the angels have you jumping through hoops trying to save seals, which is impossible given that only sixty-six of almost seven hundred have to break, but it’ll keep you busy and make you feel like a failure if the box pops and you’ll be willing to do anything to fix it, namely allowing Michael to use you as his vessel. Not that it will work. You’re a lot more stubborn than they bargained for,” Gabriel said with a smirk. 

“So there’s no way to stop it then?” Sam asked defeated. 

“Course there is Sammykins. Why do you think I’m here?” Gabriel said with a grin as Dean snorted in amusement at the nickname. 

“But you said stopping the seals from breaking is impossible,” Sam pointed out. 

“Mostly. The only one we can stop is the last one. The one that you are supposed to break and the only one that matters in the long run,” Gabriel said.

“I’m supposed to break it? How?” 

“By killing Lilith at the right time and in the right place.”

Sam gasped. “That’s why you told me not to go looking for vengeance.”

“Bingo. Last time, once you were on that path, even Dean couldn’t pull you off of it. Her loyal minion led you right to her when the time was right and Lucifer popped out.”

“But…why me?” Sam asked worriedly. 

“Because just as Dean is Michael’s destined vessel, you are Lucifer’s,” Gabriel told him sympathetically. “It’s a brother thing,” he said with a shrug. 

“No. No way. I would never…” Sam trailed off. 

“Of course you wouldn’t. And you didn’t. Neither of you did. No matter what they did to you, you refused to say yes and angels require consent to inhabit a vessel,” Gabriel said proudly. 

“Wait a minute…you’re talking like this already happened,” Dean said confused. 

“Right. Gabriel’s from the future. He had come back in time when you guys found him all messed up,” Jo tried to bring him up to date.

“So in the future the apocalypse happened?” Dean asked stunned. 

“Not exactly. It started, but it never finished because you two wouldn’t say yes. And it wouldn’t have finished anyway because Kali…the destroyer goddess…fried you two so you couldn’t be used as the vessels. That’s when I came back,” Gabriel said glossing over the details on that issue. 

“Ok so what do we do now? How do we ‘play this game’?” Sam asked trying to get off that subject. 

“Well I would suggest going along with them and saving as many seals as you can, partially so that they don’t figure out we’re playing until it’s too late and partially because you’ll still be saving lives by doing so even if the seals themselves don’t really matter in the long run. Watch what you say when I’m not here since there’s no way for you to know when they are watching you, and just stay away from Lilith at all costs. And all demons for that matter. She’ll try to get someone else close to you to lead you to her.”

“So just play along? That’s your big plan?” Dean asked incredulously. 

“For the most part,” Gabriel said with a shrug. “I’m your secret weapon. I’ll jump in if need be, but the longer we can keep me secret the better.”

“Ok. Fine. So maybe you can answer a few other things for me,” Dean said annoyed. 

“Shoot,” Gabriel said. 

“First of all, what the hell is this?” Dean said pulling up his sleeve and showing the raised handprint on his shoulder. 

Gabriel sucked in a sharp breath and reached out to touch it and closed his eyes a moment before snapping them open. “Cassie, you complete idiot,” he muttered under his breath. When he saw the confused looks all around him mixed with alarm he sighed. “Well this changes things. My idiotic little brother apparently bound himself to you, probably accidentally, while he was pulling you out.”

“Bound how?” Sam asked worriedly. 

“Not a soul bond…well not exactly. It’s more like a partial soul bond. One-sided basically. Nothing to really be concerned about as long as they don’t consummate it,” Gabriel said with a laugh and Dean started sputtering as Jo was torn between amusement and anger. 

“Then what changes,” Sam asked trying to get the conversation back on track. 

“Well for one thing it means that Cassie doesn’t know Deano’s being played. Otherwise it never would have taken at all. His loyalty will be torn between Dean and heaven, and if any of the others find out they will be pissed.”

“So what you’re saying is that we could get him on our side?” Sam asked hopefully. Another angel on their side that didn’t need to hide could only be a good thing. 

“Maybe. He will contact you soon enough. I’ll coach you what to say,” Gabriel told Dean. 

“Why can’t you just come talk to him?” Dean grumbled. 

“Secret weapon remember? I will talk to him once he’s fully on our side, but as long as there’s a chance of him running back to heaven to tattle, it’s not worth the risk.”

“Fine. One other thing. After I called Sam there was this high pitched sound that shattered all the glass around. Any idea what that was about?” Dean asked. 

Gabriel snorted. “That was Cassie being a moron I’m guessing.” Everyone looked at him blankly waiting for more explanation. “He was trying to talk to you in his true voice. I mean, sure, once a million years there’s a human that can hear our true voices, but that’s incredibly rare and he should have known better than to try.”

“So that was just him talking?” Dean asked incredulously. 

“Yep,” Gabriel said reaching out a hand to Dean’s forehead. “It did a little damage to your ears. I just healed them,” he explained. 

“So what happens if this…Cassie…shows up when you’re here?” Sam asked worriedly. 

“I will be able to sense him coming and disappear. He’ll be coming to watch Dean though, not you, so if we’re alone I’ll keep us shielded so he can’t sense me. So if I suddenly disappear, watch yourselves,” he warned. “Any other questions for now?” Gabriel asked and when everyone shook their heads he said, “Great. Then Sam and I will give you some alone time,” he said grinning salaciously at Sam before they disappeared back to their own room.


	14. Chapter 14

“Ok now I know you have more questions, so shoot,” Gabriel said once he and Sam were ensconced in their own room. 

“You were talking about vessels. Does that mean there some other guy in there with you?” Sam asked uncomfortably. 

“No. I made this vessel myself for two reasons. One, an angel in a human vessel can be tracked. Two, I had every intention of staying here forever and wouldn’t take someone’s entire life away. It’s different if you’re just popping down for a job that might take a year or two tops, but forever? That’s a big commitment for someone to make.”

“So if you can make a vessel than why wouldn’t Michael and Lucifer just do that instead of trying to make Dean and I say yes?” Sam asked curiously. 

“Well first of all, it’s highly forbidden. Another reason I’m so intent on staying hidden. Secondly, it weakens us. Angels draw power from a human soul. No human soul in here means I’m not nearly as powerful as they would be if they were to take vessels. Hence the reason I never bothered trying to take them on in the future.”

“But you’re still more powerful than…what was his name? Cassie?”

“Castiel actually and definitely. Comparing an archangel to a seraph is like comparing an ant to an elephant. I’m just a slightly smaller elephant. The only real threats to me are Michael and Raphael as long as Lucifer stays locked up. The problem is, if they knew I was involved in this, or even still alive, they would get off their gilded thrones and do their own dirty work rather than send the easily avoided minions.”

“That makes sense,” Sam nodded. “Just so long as there’s no one else in there when I do this,” Sam said with a grin as he tackled his lover on the bed and kissed him. 

Gabriel chuckled into the kiss, and when it broke he said, “Nope, all me in here.”

 

It was another two days before Castiel showed up to talk to Dean. He quite rudely put Sam and Jo to sleep and Dean glared at him. Gabriel had told him to expect that though, so he wasn’t actually concerned. He knew that if the angel had actually hurt Sam in any way there would be a furious archangel smiting going on. Dean just crossed his arms and waited for Castiel to speak. “I’m the one who gripped you tight and raised you from perdition,” he announced. 

“Yeah. Thanks for that,” Dean said sarcastically. “Too bad you were a little too late huh?”

He could tell the angel was knocked off balance by that. Gabriel had coached him well. Cas would be a little suspicious at how he got his information, but Dean wasn’t going to give away anything damaging enough to cause real issues. “I did so when I was ordered to,” Castiel said. 

“So you were told not to come for me until after I broke?” Dean asked suspiciously. 

“We were unaware how long you were there.”

“Bullshit. You were unaware maybe, but your superiors knew perfectly well what they were doing,” Dean said heatedly. 

“My father’s will…” 

“And what makes you think he’s still the one giving the orders?” Dean asked pointedly. 

Castiel’s eyes narrowed suspiciously at the annoying human. “What makes you think he isn’t?”

“Just common sense. If God wanted to spring Lucifer from the box he wouldn’t need to manipulate us gullible humans into doing it for him,” Dean challenged. 

“Where are you getting your information?” Castiel asked distrustfully. 

“Did you know demons get very talkative under torture?” Dean said with a smirk, using the agreed upon response which wasn’t actually a lie, just a misdirection. Gabriel had warned him that angels can tell when someone lies. 

“And you trust a demon’s word?” Castiel asked confused.

“I know how to make sure they don’t lie,” he said with a predatory grin. 

“Well regardless of your feelings on the matter we have work for you,” Castiel changed the subject. 

“What kind of work?” Dean asked. He had let slip enough information that he shouldn’t know. No harm in letting the angel explain the rest. 

“We need to stop the remaining seals from breaking.”

“And how many are there?” Dean asked despite knowing the answer.

“Six hundred and sixty-six.”

“And how many need to be opened to release Lucifer?” Dean asked.

“Sixty-six,” Castiel said evenly. 

“And you expect to stop more than six hundred seals from breaking?” Dean asked pointedly trying to cause a little more doubt in the angel and make him realize that it was a foolish effort. 

“We must do what we are able,” Castiel said with the air of someone repeating what they were told. 

“Why don’t you try thinking for yourself and use a little common sense,” Dean snapped before saying, “I will help you, but not because I give a damn about your useless attempt to save seals, but because it means saving people’s lives.” By wording it as him helping them he was making it clear that he felt no responsibility for this mess and wouldn’t be guilted into anything. 

“I will be in touch,” Castiel said and disappeared, causing Sam and Jo to wake up. 

It was only a moment later that Gabriel showed up and they knew they could speak freely. “How’d it go?” Jo asked.

“Just like Gabriel said. Not sure if I got through to him though,” Dean said with a shrug. 

“I’m sure you at least got him thinking,” Gabriel told him. “It might take a while for him to come around though. He’s been indoctrinated to heaven’s party line for so long. It’s good that it’s him that got you instead of someone else though.”

“Why’s that?” Sam asked. 

“Cassie was always the most free-thinking of all the seraphs. I tried to encourage that from him back before I left. He was a good kid. Always questioning everything,” Gabriel said with a fond smile. “Don’t worry. He’ll come around.”

 

Once Sam and Gabriel were back in their own room for the night, Sam brought up a subject that he had carefully avoided. Heaven. “You sounded almost like a proud father talking about Cassie back there,” Sam said hesitantly. 

“Proud big brother technically, but I did practically raise the kid. Most of the seraphs actually,” Gabriel said with a faraway look. 

“Why’d you leave?” 

Gabriel let out a heavy sigh. He had known this conversation was coming sooner or later. “Father left,” he started with a pained look on his face. “Father left and they wanted someone to blame. Only the three of us…the remaining archangels knew that he left of course. The others had never even met him. Michael and Raphael…they blamed me. Because of my boisterous nature and troublesome spirit.” Sam pulled him down next to him and ran a hand soothingly through his hair as he leaned back against the hunter’s chest. “I was the easy target. Michael…he was just words and hateful looks. Shutting me out. Raphael though…he was more physical about it. Whenever one of them caught me alone, I was attacked…whether physically or verbally. It was getting unbearable. Then when they started picking on the little seraphs that I was closest to…accusing me of corrupting them…I couldn’t stay anymore. I had to get out of there. For them and for me. I…I faked my death and ran.”

Sam just held him for a while before he said, “I understand, Gabriel. I would have done the same. Did do the same even.” When Gabriel looked at him curiously Sam told his own story. “Growing up was always about hunting. All I wanted was to be a normal kid. To have friends and play sports and go to parties, but Dad always dragged us everywhere and I hated it. We were always at each other’s throats, yelling and screaming. The first opportunity I got I ran away too. Ran away a few times before that even, but I kept getting found and dragged back. This time stuck though. For a while anyway. Then I got dragged back again. I don’t think I’ll make it out again though. So yeah. I don’t blame you for running. I don’t blame you for not going back.”

Gabriel smiled and turned his head to rest his forehead against Sam’s neck. “You can still get out if you want Samshine. I can take you anywhere in the world, anywhere in the universe even. Keep you hidden from everyone and everything that could ever pull you back. All you have to do is say the word,” Gabriel offered. 

Sam smiled. “I’m not sure if that’s what I want anymore, Gabe, but I’ll definitely keep that in mind. Thank you,” he said softly pulling the archangel into a slow sweet kiss. 

“I love you Sammy. And you can have anything your heart desires. Don’t forget that,” Gabriel told him with a soft smile. 

“All my heart desires right now is you, Gabriel,” Sam whispered. 

“Well that you already have,” Gabriel said grinning.


	15. Chapter 15

When Castiel left Dean, he went to a park to sit and think. The human made a lot of sense. Why was he not sent until after the seal broke? He knew well enough to know that heaven would have been watching the vessels carefully since they were born. How could they not know that the righteous man had gone to hell? It made sense when he was sure that his father was giving the orders, but now that the seed of doubt had been planted he wasn’t sure what to think. 

When Dean had told him to ‘think for himself’ and ‘use common sense’ he couldn’t help but hear his lost older brother in those words. Gabriel had told him that often. It was funny how one little human could remind him so much of one of the great archangels. That’s where all this was coming from, he was sure. He would never doubt anything based on a human’s words. It had to be the resemblance to his favorite brother that was making him doubt. That decided, he pushed the thought from his mind. He would watch more closely, but he was going to think no more on the matter. 

 

When Bobby called about hunter’s going communications dark, Sam, Dean, and Jo jumped on the case. It wasn’t long before they figured out what was going on. Thankfully Jo was new enough to the game that she hadn’t really lose anyone badly, so she was just in danger of getting caught in the crossfire between the others. Gabriel popped in to help of course. He was much more help holding the angry ghosts back than he would be doing the spell, so he left the spell part to the old man while he flitted here and there dispersing any spirits that made it past the hunter’s initial barrage. Being an archangel, destroying spirits was something that he would never do except in the most extreme of circumstances, and this one wasn’t there, so he just dematerialized them which bought them some time for them to pull themselves back together. He wasn’t doing much more than a salt gun or an iron bar would do, but his speed and ability to get from one side of the room to another in the blink of an eye kept them a step ahead of the spirits. 

Once the spell was done and the ghosts had been put back to rest Gabriel turned to the others with a grin. “Well that was fun. We should…” the sentence ended as Gabriel abruptly disappeared. The others knew that mean there was an angel on the way and wondered if it would be watching or if it would show itself. 

The answer was apparently both as it was about half an hour before Castiel appeared in front of Dean. “Excellent job with the witnesses.”

“You knew huh? And you didn’t bother to help? Why am I not surprised?” Dean scoffed. 

“You obvioiusly had it well in hand. You are all still alive,” Castiel said evenly, not understanding why the hunter was bitter. 

“Yeah. Here maybe. How many other hunters died while you were sitting up there playing your harp while seals are breaking down here?” Dean asked heatedly. 

Castiel had had it with this arrogant human talking to him like that. “You should show me some respect. I dragged you out of hell. I can throw you back in,” he warned. 

“Oh yeah? Try it wing boy,” Dean challenged. When he got no response he continued. “That’s what I thought. I doubt you’d go to all the trouble to pull me out if I were that expendable.”

“Ok Dean. That’s enough,” Sam chimed in before Dean ended up getting smote by a pissed off angel. “Word to the wise, Cassie. If you’re just gonna show up after the fact, don’t bother. All it will do is piss him off,” Sam said not realizing that he had slipped into Gabriel’s name for the seraph. He did notice the slight widening of the angel’s eyes when he said it, but knew better than to show he made a mistake. Let him think it was intentional and maybe he’d write it off as a coincidence. 

Dean glared at Sam for his slip, but thankfully, Castiel missed it, so lost in thought as he was. “I will be in touch,” the angel said as he disappeared. 

Soon after Castiel left, Gabriel reappeared. “Sorry about that. We had incoming,” he said with a smirk. 

“No worries. Sam might have blown it all though,” Dean said annoyed. 

Gabriel raised an eyebrow in question and Sam said sheepishly, “I kinda called him Cassie.”

Gabriel snorted in amusement. “I wouldn’t worry too much over it. Humans often give nicknames and there aren’t that many you can get from Castiel. He’ll probably write it off as a coincidence,” Gabriel said dismissively. If his ‘death’ hadn’t been so well known he might have worried, but Castiel would surely think of it as a coincidence before he considered a long lost archangel rising from the dead and working with a couple hunters against heaven. It sounded nuts even to him and he was the master of crazy. 

 

Castiel reappeared back in the park to calm his emotions. He had observed that humans often give nicknames to others. There was no reason for such a thing to disturb him so much. It was simply the fact that he had not heard his name mangled in that particular way for thousands of years. What was it with these hunters and reminding him of Gabriel?

It was these thoughts that spurred him into sending Dean to the past. He knew the chances of him rewriting history were slim, but if it worked then great, and if not then it would be a valuable lesson for the hunter on destiny. Gabriel felt it the moment Dean was sent to the past. He had long put trackers on all three hunters in their little family unit, and he couldn’t help but roll his eyes. If there was any chance that would have worked he’d have done it himself a long time ago. 

While Dean was gone, Castiel noticed Uriel acting strangely. He kept asking odd questions about the younger Winchester and so he discreetly followed the other seraph right into a meeting with the head demon herself, Lilith. “You were supposed to make sure the younger Winchester was drinking demon blood,” he hissed at her. 

“I am working on it. They kill every agent I send to tempt him. It’s almost as if they know the game and are actively working against us,” she told him, annoyed.

“Well then you are going to have to try harder. If we are going to free Lucifer and have the boy primed as his vessel, then he needs to be drugged enough to do what he must,” Uriel ordered harshly. 

“You think I take orders from the likes of you? Why don’t you just run back to your father and let me deal with mine,” she said menacingly. 

“My father is no longer a player in this game as you well know,” Uriel pointed out. 

“Then why play, little angel?” she crooned at him trying to get information. 

“Because the humans are disgusting mud monkeys, and no matter who wins, they die,” he said sneering.

“So you are playing both sides? Hoping that whoever wins will be grateful for your assistance?” she asked sweetly. 

“I don’t care who wins. And I’m sure neither Michael or Lucifer care that I don’t. We all want this to happen Lilith. Don’t screw it up,” he warned before disappearing. 

 

Castiel stood in the now empty warehouse in shock for a few moments before he realized that it was time to retrieve Dean. Once he had done so, he cornered the hunter. “Where are you getting your information?” he asked. 

“What information?” Dean dodged the question. 

“You believed that my father was no longer giving the orders. You obviously know of the plans for you. You knew about the seals. How?” Castiel asked desperately. If there was another player in the game, he needed to know. If there were angels working with demons, it wasn’t much of a stretch to find one working with humans as well. 

Dean smirked. He nearly had the angel hooked. Now to reel him in. “Sorry Cassie. You’re not part of our team so you don’t get to know the contents of our brain trust.”

“Your team against heaven you mean?” the seraph asked suspiciously. 

“Not so much against heaven as for humans,” Dean said firmly. “Which, as I understand, was supposed to be your job too.”

“I…find myself doubting the cause of heaven. I am unsure what to do,” Castiel admitted tiredly. 

“I can tell you this much. We have more on our side than you think. And we will win this thing, because we are one step ahead of both heaven and hell and it’s gonna stay that way. You just have to decide whether you’re with us or against us,” Dean gave the ultimatum. 

The angel was silent for a long moment, but he hadn’t left yet so Dean waited patiently. “I…am with you,” he finally said wearily. 

“Give me your oath,” Dean said smugly. 

Now Castiel was sure that they had an angel on their side. No one but an angel would know of the oaths. Castiel did so after a moment’s hesitation and was rewarded with a genuine smile and the hunter closed his eyes briefly. 

A moment later, another being appeared in a burst of confetti. “Surprise, bitches!” he said laughing. 

“Gabriel!?” Castiel breathed out in shock.


	16. Chapter 16

Castiel just stood there staring for a few minutes at his long lost, thought dead, grinning older brother. “I’m guessing you’d like an explanation now?” Gabriel said cheerfully. 

“Yes. That would be appreciated,” Castiel said stone-faced. 

“Right. Well. Let’s get back to the rest of the group first,” Gabriel said snapping his fingers and they all appeared in the motel room with Sam and Jo. Gabriel wasted no time plopping down in Sam’s lap and pressing a quick kiss to his lips. “Ok so long story short…I’m alive and helping these guys avoid the apocalypse that our dear brothers are trying to shove down everyone’s throats.”

When Castiel continued looking at him blankly, Sam chuckled and tightened his arms around his angel as he said, “Um…Gabe? I think he might need the long story.”

“Okay. So. Dad left heaven. I got blamed. Michael and Raphael made my life hell and then started taking it out on anyone else I was close to so I faked my death and ran away. Kept running until I met my soulmate. Lucifer popped from his box. Sammy died. I went mad and somehow managed to snap myself back in time and now we are working to avoid that happening again.”

“So Father is really gone?” Castiel asked heartbrokenly. 

“Yep. Has been for thousands of years. Mikey and Raph don’t like telling anyone though because they’re afraid it will undermine their authority. As long as all you little soldiers think the order are coming from Dad, you won’t dare rebel.”

“I see,” Castiel said in a determined voice. “You must know that you can’t change the past though Gabriel, so I don’t understand what you wish to accomplish here.”

“That’s not entirely true. The longer it has had to set the more immutable it becomes. I only came back two years. There is a chance still for that recent of history to be changed. In fact it has already changed a great deal,” Gabriel pointed out. 

“What did I do last time?” Castiel asked curiously. 

“I’m not entirely sure of the details. I was kinda avoiding the whole thing up until the end last time. But I know that you were working with the Winchesters to try and stop it after the box was popped. And you were falling.”

“Would you be willing to take me into your service to prevent such a fate, brother?” Castiel asked hopefully. 

Gabriel grinned. “All you had to do is ask, Cassie,” he said as he reached out a hand to the seraphs head and a slight glow lit the room. 

“Thank you, Gabriel. So what is our plan?” 

“Stay one step ahead of them and just don’t let Sammykins near Lilith so the box doesn’t get popped,” Gabriel told him.

“They won’t stop trying, Gabriel. They will hound you all for the remainder of time. And when the vessels die they will simply keep bringing them back and will have more leverage,” Castiel pointed out. 

“I…didn’t think of that,” Gabriel said thoughtfully. 

“What we need to do is find a way to make the whole thing impossible, no matter what they do. If you were to…”

“No!” Gabriel cut him off. “Don’t go there Cassie.”

“It would be the easiest way, brother.”

“Perhaps, but it’s not the right way. We will find something else,” Gabriel said firmly. 

“What’s he talking about, Gabriel?” Jo asked. 

“Nothing important,” Gabriel tried to blow it off. 

“Gabriel. Please just tell us. You don’t want to do it then we won’t, but we need to at least know all the options,” Sam pleaded.

Gabriel gave a heavy sigh. “If we were to complete a soul bond then Lucifer would be unable to use you as a vessel and heaven would never be able to get their hands on you to use as leverage.”

“But you don’t want to do that?” Sam asked trying to disguise the hurt in his voice. 

“I don’t want it that way, Sam. If we are going to bond, I want it to be about us and only us. I want it to be what you really want. Not just a means to an end. I can’t live with that,” Gabriel explained. 

“I understand, Gabriel. I have been thinking about that lately, but we can talk about that later. But either way, it doesn’t protect Dean,” Sam said. 

“Actually it does. Indirectly,” Gabriel told him. “Dean is only needed as Michael’s vessel with you being Lucifer’s. If you are unable to be a vessel, and unable to pop the box, then he is no longer of use to them.”

“And they wouldn’t try for revenge or anything?” Dean asked worriedly. 

“Mikey wouldn’t. He would be pissed, but he’s not the vengeful type. Raph probably would if Michael doesn’t keep him on a leash, but worst case scenario we let Mikey know what’s going on and he reigns Raphy in. But this is all hypothetical anyway because we are finding another way.”

“I will think on the matter,” Castiel promised. 

“Thanks, little brother. If anyone can find a way it’s you,” Gabriel said with a grateful smile. Castiel was a brilliant tactician and thought just differently enough from him to be a very valuable asset. 

“I should return to the garrison. If I can stay in place as long as possible it will be helpful to our cause,” Castiel said. 

Before he could leave, Gabriel grabbed him in a hug. “Be careful, little brother, and if you get in trouble call for me and I’ll do what I can.”

 

The seraph nodded and disappeared and the couples separated into their own rooms. “Gabriel, can we talk about this bond thing?”

“No.”

“Will you at least hear me out?” Sam asked hopefully. 

“Fine, talk,” Gabriel said rolling his eyes. 

“I have been thinking about the bond a lot over the last few weeks. I was going to wait to talk to you about it until after all this was settled, but now...I promise you I won’t let the fact that it can end things affect my decision, but can I at least ask the questions I was already planning to ask?”

Gabriel sighed. He supposed it couldn’t hurt to answer questions. “Ok fine. Ask.”

“Well you mentioned me living forever with you. How would that work? Are there any other effects?”

“It would work however you want it to work. We could explore the world…the entire universe even. We could stay here and keep hunting. We could do a combination of both. We could spend the rest of forever relaxing on a tropical beach. Whatever you want,” Gabriel said with a shrug. “As far as other effects, yes. You would basically become part angel. You would have angelic powers, though not as strong as mine, of course. About seraph level, but you would still have your human soul and the grace would meld with your soul making you a hybrid of sorts.”

“What kind of powers?” Sam asked curiously. 

“Healing, flying…yes you’d have wings…limited effects over time, smiting, extra strength and speed…That’s all I can think of off the top of my head,” Gabriel listed. 

“That’s…a lot of changes,” Sam said, feeling a bit overwhelmed. 

“I know,” Gabriel said understandingly. 

“Is there anything else I should know?” Sam asked, hoping the big revelations were done. 

“Nope, just the fact that if one of us dies we both die, but that’s no different from now and you already know that,” Gabriel said with a shrug. 

“Ok. Thanks Gabe. I’ll let you know when I decide, and I remember my promise not to let anything else influence my decision.”

“Ok Samshine. I’ll hold you to that,” Gabriel said softly. 

 

It was a week later when Sam had a few more questions. “Shoot Samsquatch,” Gabriel said throwing himself back on the couch. 

“Ok…well…these are probably common sense I just need to be sure,” Sam said rather sheepishly. When Gabriel just raised a curious eyebrow Sam continued. “You’ll help me learn how to manage my new powers right?”

“Duh,” Gabriel said rolling his eyes.

“How long do you think it will take?”

“A week, maybe a little more depending on how seriously you take it,” Gabriel told him with a shrug. 

“Ok. That’s not too bad. What about my wings? Will I be able to hide them like you? Will every supernatural creature be able to see that I’m an angel? Or part angel anyway.”

“It takes centuries of learning control to be able to hide them completely. Humans will never be able to see them though if that’s what you mean. They’ll be like Cassie’s. Existing on another plane, and yes, most supernatural creatures will be able to see them.”

“Are they…difficult to manage?” he asked curiously. 

“They would take some getting used to, like any new appendage, but since they don’t exist on the physical plane, you won’t have to worry about bumping them into things or anything.”

“And I’ll be able to see angels and supernatural creatures and the true faces of demons and stuff too?” 

“Yup.”


	17. Chapter 17

“I want to do it,” Sam said.

“Sam…you know my feelings on the matter,” Gabriel said wearily. 

“Yes I do, but you’re doing it again. You’re telling me what I want and why. I don’t give a crap about Lucifer or angels or the pending apocalypse or any of that crap. I care about you. I want to do this because I want forever with you. No other reason. If you don’t want that then that’s okay, but stop making my decisions for me. Please.”

Gabriel looked at him searchingly for a moment trying to discern the truth. “Are you sure, Sam? I mean really, completely, a hundred and fifty percent sure. Because it’s not something you can take back. Ever.”

“I am absolutely sure. Beyond a shadow of a doubt,” Sam said confidently. 

“We’ll need to take some time away while we get your powers under control,” Gabriel pointed out. 

“Of course. I assume you have a place in mind?” Sam questioned. 

“Yeah. My tropical island. No one around for a thousand miles in any direction so even if you explode something it will be easily fixable,” Gabriel said with a grin. 

Sam laughed, “Okay. Just let me tell Dean and Jo,” he said with his own grin as he headed next door. 

 

They landed on a gorgeous beach. There were palm trees and tropical flowers all around. There was a huge glass house nearby as well and stone walkways leading around it and down to the sand. It was paradise and Sam looked around in awe. “You wanna explore a bit first?” Gabriel asked. 

Sam snapped out of his daze and said happily, “Nah. We have a whole week or more to explore.”

“Good,” Gabriel said with a grin. Now that this was actually going to happen he couldn’t wait. “Do you wanna do this on the beach or in the bedroom?”

“Here,” Sam said with a slight blush. He knew that sex would be involved in the bonding and he had never done that outside, but since there was no one else around it would be nice, and it was incredibly beautiful out here. 

Gabriel smirked as he snapped his fingers and removed all their clothes before placing his hand on Sam’s chest. “This might hurt a bit,” he said apologetically. 

Sam suddenly felt as if all the air had been sucked from his lungs and felt a painful burn spread through him. He managed to keep himself on his feet, and his eyes squeezed shut in pain. Then just as quickly as it came, it was gone and he felt…different. He opened his eyes and gasped. He could see six glorious golden wings protruding from Gabriel’s back. It was like every possible shade of gold in existence was shining from them, and highlighted by the sun they were even more incredible. “They’re beautiful,” he whispered reverently. 

Gabriel smiled tenderly at him. He had known Sam would want to see his wings so he stopped hiding them for the time being. “So are yours, Samshine,” he said softly. Sam immediately craned his neck trying to see his own wings. It took him a minute but he managed to figure out how to bring one of them around so he could get a look. His own wings showed all different shades of brown with streaks of gold. “You got the gold from me, the rest is all you.”

“Wow,” Sam breathed out. “This is incredible.” 

“You ain’t seen nothing yet kiddo,” Gabriel said with a smirk as he reached out a hand to tangle in the feathers and Sam instantly fell to his knees with a whimper as his cock immediately hardened. 

“Oh…god…Gabriel…” he gasped out surprised he could form words. Gabriel, of course, knew all the best ways to drive someone crazy through their wings and put those skills to good use as he alternated between caressing and pulling, moving over the bones and joints with one hand while the other teased the feathers and Sam turned into a quivering mess. “G-Gabe…god…gonna…ahh,” Sam cried out as he came harder than he ever had before without even being touched. Gabriel didn’t stop his hands though, and Sam was rock hard and leaking again in now time. “Shit Gabe…need…need you,” Sam gasped out. 

“Then take me, Samshine,” Gabriel whispered huskily in his ear and Sam tackled him in the sand. It had been a very long time since Gabriel bottomed, but he had known this was coming as soon as he touched Sam’s wings. Sam whimpered as he moved his hand down to start opening the archangel up, but Gabriel stopped him. “Don’t worry about it. You can’t hurt me. Just fuck me,” he said breathlessly. All the noises Sam was making and how beautiful he looked had Gabriel more than ready to get this show on the road himself. Not to mention, they were taking too long playing and if they didn’t finish the bond soon it would start to strain. 

Sam wasted no time slamming hard and deep into Gabriel who moaned and lifted his hips, taking Sam deeper as his hands continued working the hunter/angel’s wings. There was no way Sam was going to be able to go slowly and he slammed hard and fast into Gabriel. “Oh…fuck…yes…Sammy,” the archangel gasped out. Sam managed the presence of mind to reach down and stroke Gabriel in time with his thrusts and that’s when he remembered the other wings there and moved the hand that was holding himself up so that one of Gabriel’s wings was underneath it. “Oh…shit…yeah…more…” Gabriel cried out in ecstasy. 

It was no time at all before Gabriel spilled himself over Sam’s hand with a guttural cry of, “Sam!” Sam slammed deeply into Gabriel one last time, filling the archangel with his cum, and crying his name as well. Gabriel finally removed his hands from Sam’s wings and the hunter collapsed on top of him, both of them breathing heavily. “I love you, Samshine,” Gabriel whispered as he ran a hand through Sam’s hair while the other rested on his back. 

“I love you, Gabriel,” Sam whispered back pressing soft kisses to the archangel’s neck. “Forever.”

It was a few minutes before Sam noticed, “How are your hands going through my wings now like they weren’t there?”

“You have to want to touch them intentionally in order to physically interact with the plane they exist on,” Gabriel explained. 

“So I couldn’t accidentally touch another angel’s wings even though I could see them now?” Sam clarified. 

“You better not be touching anyone elses wings,” Gabriel said sternly, grin betraying his tone. 

Sam laughed. “Only yours, Gabe,” he promised. 

“Good,” Gabriel said smugly. After a little while he decided it was time to get up. “So what say we get to work on controlling your powers?”

“Ok,” Sam agreed pulling himself to his feet. “Where do we start?”

“Let’s start with flying. All you have to do is think hard enough about somewhere or someone and your wings will take you there, but be…” he trailed off as Sam disappeared, “careful,” he finished with a laugh before flying off after him. 

The sight he found was a hundred times better than he could have ever imagined. Not only was Sam still buck naked, but he had appeared in Dean and Jo’s motel room while they were apparently enjoying their own naked fun. He laughed even harder at that and managed to gasp out, “Sorry…little…wing…mishap.” He took Sam’s arm and they reappeared back on the beach where Gabriel collapsed in hysterical laughter while Sam just stood there, beet red and apparently in shock. 

When Gabriel had mentioned picturing someone he wanted to fly to, he had wondered if that was why Castiel had always appeared uncomfortably close to Dean when he showed up, and then he wondered if he would end up doing the same thing. He had the answer now. And uncomfortable wasn’t the word for it. Dean had just opened his mouth to start yelling when Gabriel had shown up. “I don’t think I like flying very much,” Sam said weakly. 

Eventually Gabriel managed to pull himself together so that all that was escaping were snorts and chuckles here and there and he said, “As I was saying before you so promptly flew off, be careful because it’s very easy to fly somewhere unintentionally if you aren’t paying attention.”

“Now you tell me,” Sam grumbled. “I don’t suppose brain bleach is listed anywhere in my new powers?” he asked without much hope. 

“Nope. Sorry. If it makes you feel any better I once accidentally popped in on King Edward and his wife Edith in the act back in ten sixty-five and they were like sixty,” he said with a shudder. 

“Yeah. Okay. So first give me my clothes back so if I do accidentally fly off again I won’t end up flashing the world,” Sam said annoyed. 

Gabriel snorted in amusement. “Good thing you weren’t thinking of seeing the Eifel Tower huh?” 

Sam slapped Gabriel in the chest, putting just as much power into it as he usually did, which was most of his strength seeing as he couldn’t hurt the archangel anyway. It didn’t dawn on him that his strength had increased too though until Gabriel gave an “Oof,” and flew a few feet back and landed on his ass in the edge of the water. 

“Oh god Gabriel! I’m so sorry! Are you okay?” he asked worriedly. 

Gabriel just started laughing again. “You sure pack a punch there Samsquatch,” he said mirthfully. “I’m fine kiddo. Really. Takes more than that to hurt me,” he said with a smirk as he pulled himself to his feet. He had, unfortunately, already redressed them so his clothes were now soaked, but he just snapped his fingers to dry them. 

Sam sighed heavily. This was going to be more difficult than he thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who love the wing kink, here's a little reverse wing kink for you :)


End file.
